Arizona Driver Sentenced to 18 Years After Crashing Mustang at 153 MPH, Killing Two Passengers

An Arizona man has been sentenced to 18 years in prison after driving his Ford Mustang at an astonishing 153 mph before losing control and crashing into palm trees, killing two passengers. Derek Grey, also known as Derek Glasscock, was 35 at the time of the crash. The devastating collision happened in Tempe in November 2023 and left the vehicle split in half, while both passengers were thrown from the wreckage.

The crash occurred around 1:30 a.m. on November 25, 2023, when Grey was reportedly racing another vehicle along Rural Road. Police had spotted his Mustang traveling at more than 100 mph and attempted to pull him over, but he continued driving. Investigators later determined that his speed had reached approximately 153 mph before he lost control, veered off the roadway and sent the car airborne. The Mustang reportedly rose more than nine feet before striking a power pole and two palm trees.

The two passengers, identified as 32-year-old Jesse Ruiz and 31-year-old Maria Rangel, were violently ejected from the vehicle. Ruiz died at the scene, while Rangel was found approximately 80 feet away from the wreckage and later died at a hospital. Grey survived the crash but suffered several injuries, including a black eye. The investigation also revealed that he had been drinking alcohol before getting behind the wheel.

According to investigators, Grey made several statements after the collision indicating that he should not have been driving and acknowledging that he had consumed alcohol. He had reportedly spent time at a bar with friends before the crash. Authorities also established that the vehicle was traveling at an extremely dangerous speed while racing another car, creating circumstances that ultimately proved fatal for his two passengers.

In August 2026, Grey pleaded guilty to two counts of manslaughter in connection with the deaths of Ruiz and Rangel. As part of the plea agreement, prosecutors dropped the original second-degree murder charges. On November 6, 2026, he was sentenced to 18 years in prison, according to the sentencing order obtained by Law&Crime.

The sentence brings a major development in a case that devastated the victims’ families. Rangel’s brother, Max Aguino, previously described her as a happy and beautiful person who had been in a relationship with Ruiz for about a year. The couple’s lives ended in a matter of seconds because of a high-speed crash that investigators say could have been avoided. Grey will now spend nearly two decades behind bars for the deaths of his two friends.

Source: https://lawandcrime.com/crime/man-who-split-mustang-in-half-after-crashing-into-palm-trees-at-153-mph-sending-woman-flying-80-feet-to-her-death-and-killing-her-boyfriend-learns-fate/