PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — The driver of a sports coupe that crashed into a Salem homeless camp in the early hours of Sunday had a blood alcohol level more than 3 times the legal limit, prosecutors said in court on Monday.
Enrique Rodriguez, 24, faces 4 counts of manslaughter, 2 counts of assault and 6 counts of reckless endangerment. He was taken to the hospital for treatment after the crash but later Sunday was taken to the Marion County Jail, authorities said.
Prosecutors said Rodriguez, who was alone in the car, had a blood alcohol content of .26 at the time of the crash around 2 a.m. Sunday near the corner of Front Street NE and Division Street. The crash happened near Marion Square. Two people were pinned under the car and died at the scene, officials said.
Four others plus Rodriguez were rushed to Salem Hospital for treatment. Two of them later died.
On Monday, Salem police identified the people involved: Jowand Beck, 24; Luke Kagey, 21; Joe Posada III, 54; and Rochelle Zamacona, 29, all died from the crash. The injured were identified as Derrick Hart 43, and 18-year-old Savaanah Miller. Hart and Miller remain in the hospital with injuries previously described as life-threatening.
Two mothers speak
One mother whose daughter was hurt told the judge she did not want Rodriguez released.
“We would just hope that the court would understand that with the loss of 4 innocent people and the extent of my daughter’s injuries and of one other we do not feel that bail is warranted at this time,” she said.
The judge agreed and denied bail. His next court appearance is scheduled for April 6.
Rodriguez’s mother, Maria Arrez, said homeless people should not have been allowed to camp in that area and the city should shoulder some of the blame.
“I want the city to be held accountable as well because they have all these people running around like crazy,” Arrez said. “It’s not fair that he’s only getting the fault for this. They’re wrong.”
ODOT spokesperson Don Hamilton told KOIN 6 News that homeless camp was set to be cleared later this week. The agency, which must give at least 10 days notice before cleaning camps on their property, posted notices there on March 17.
Work was scheduled to begin this Wednesday.
It’s not known how many people were staying at that camp. But Salem officers helped several uninjured campers collect their belongings and provided help getting shelter after the crash. Three of them were taken to a motel, officials said.
The crash was a main topic of discussion at the Salem City Council meeting on Monday night.
“There is absolutely no excuse for the horrific incident on Salem’s Front Street where a person drove a car into a homeless camp. He is to blame, not the campers. It was not a car who killed them, it was a person driving a car. No matter how these folks ended up on Front Street they are human beings who deserve our compassion and help,” said Salem City Councilor Tom Andersen.
‘We can’t compel people to move indoors’
In a statement to KOIN 6 News, a spokesperson with the City of Salem says public health and safety remain their primary concern, but they cannot compel anyone to move indoors.
Enrique Rodriguez, 24, in his first appearance in a Marion County court on 4 manslaughter charges following a crash into a Salem homeless camp, March 28, 2022 (KOIN) 
Four people are dead and three are injured after a driver crashed into a homeless encampment in Salem, March 27, 2022 (KOIN)
“Along with the rest of our community, we are still mourning these terrible losses. This tragic incident resulted in the arrest of the driver and it wouldn’t be proper for the City to comment on it other than to say the victims, their families and friends have our heartfelt sympathy,” the statement read. “People camp in these areas because they are close to downtown services. We can’t compel the people who live there to move indoors. While shelter space in Salem has increased significantly in the past couple of years, some people have barriers to being able to access that shelter space.”