The Washington State Patrol released this photo of the Nissan Titan pickup that crashed and killed four young Kent men on Oct. 7 along State Route 518 in Tukwila. COURTESY PHOTO, State Patrol

The Washington State Patrol released this photo of the Nissan Titan pickup that crashed and killed four young Kent men on Oct. 7 along State Route 518 in Tukwila. COURTESY PHOTO, State Patrol

Kent driver crashed pickup twice same night as quadruple fatality

All five in truck were drinking after running into Kent hillside

A 22-year-old Kent man reportedly crashed his pickup twice earlier in the night prior to the wreck that killed his four passengers.

King County prosecutors charged Jesse Tenorio with four counts of vehicular homicide for the Oct. 7 crash along eastbound State Route 518 in Tukwila near the Interstate 405 interchange. He remains in the county jail in Seattle with bail set at $250,000. He is scheduled to be arraigned Oct. 22 at the King County Courthouse in Seattle.

All four victims are from Kent – Myron Singh, 22; Luis Perez, 21; Juan Carrasco-Rodriguez, 18; and Anthony Perez, 22. They each died from multiple blunt force injuries, according to the King County Medical Examiner’s Office. Carrasco-Rodriguez died on his 18th birthday in the 2:17 a.m. crash.

“The defendant had clearly been drinking when he had not one, but two accidents prior to killing all four of his passengers,” wrote Senior Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Dana Cashman in charging papers filed Oct. 10 in King County Superior Court.

Tenorio, who was driving his mother’s 2004 Nissan Titan pickup, crashed the vehicle in Kent about 90 minutes prior to the quadruple fatality. Two Kent firefighters from Puget Sound Regional Fire Authority saw the Nissan traveling westbound on South 208th Street from State Route 515 (aka Benson Highway, 108th Avenue Southeast) when it passed them going an estimated 60 mph in a posted 40 mph zone and drifted into the oncoming lane. The pickup rounded the curved road and then went out of control and collided into a hillside on South 212th Street near State Route 167.

Firefighters positioned their fire engine in the road to block oncoming traffic. They contacted the five young men who all appeared to be consuming intoxicants, according to charging papers. Firefighters radioed for Kent Police to respond. While waiting for police, the occupants in the Nissan were able to get the truck unstuck and drove off.

At just after 2:10 a.m., a woman who was getting off her shift at Sea-Tac Airport saw the Nissan traveling an estimated 80 to 100 mph in a secured bus tunnel at the airport. The woman said the secured guard arm to the tunnel entrance had been run down and broken off by the pickup. She recognized the Nissan Titan later when she saw television news footage of the multiple fatality crash, which happened just minutes after she saw the pickup race through the tunnel.

Tenorio drifted off of SR 518 to the right and collided with a guardrail that protects support pillars to the southbound I-5 overpass. The pickup then rotated sideways and rolled, according to the Washington State Patrol. Tenorio was not wearing a seat belt and was ejected into nearby blackberry bushes.

During the rollover, the Nissan Titan’s roof struck the southbound I-5 overpass bridge pillar causing the roof to crush inwards onto the four passengers, one in the front passenger seat and three in the rear seat. The pickup then rotated around the backside of the pillar coming to a final rest facing westbound on its wheels. All four men died at the scene.

State Patrol investigators have not yet determined an estimated speed for the Nissan prior to the crash, but called it a “high rate” of speed in the initial accident report.

A State Patrol trooper contacted Tenorio in the back of the medic unit. Tenorio was drifting in and out of consciousness and was unable to answer questions. The trooper noted he could smell an odor of intoxicants coming from Tenorio. Paramedics transported Tenorio to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle, where he was treated for injuries and released on Oct. 8. Troopers arrested Tenorio at the hospital for investigation of vehicular homicide.

Hospital personnel collected two vials of blood from Tenorio. The State Patrol will have the blood tested to determine a blood alcohol level.

Tenorio, whose address is in Kent’s North Park neighborhood, has a prior conviction for DUI in Kent in 2017 that was reduced to reckless endangerment, according to court documents.

It is unknown at this time how long of a sentence Tenorio might face if convicted as charged.

“It’s a bit early to determine what his sentence could be,” said a spokesman for the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office. “We have to check his criminal history and several other factors before we could make a proper assessment.”


Talk to us

Please share your story tips by emailing editor@kentreporter.com.

To share your opinion for publication, submit a letter through our website https://www.kentreporter.com/submit-letter/. Include your name, address and daytime phone number. (We’ll only publish your name and hometown.) Please keep letters to 300 words or less.

More in News

Photos by Bailey Jo Josie/Sound Publishing
Official ribbon cutting for the Kent Valley Bezos Academy, which is still accepting applications for the 2024-2025 school year.
Kent Valley Bezos Academy offers student-driven preschool experience

New school offers free enrollment to children of income-eligible families

COURTESY PHOTO, King County
Driver reportedly going 111 mph in Kent fatal collision

SeaTac man, 33, faces vehicular homicide, reckless driving charges in Nov. 4 death of 38-year-old woman

A National Civics Bee in Arizona. COURTESY PHOTO, Civics Bee
Kent Chamber of Commerce to offer civics contest for middle schoolers

Essay competition first step as part of 2025 National Civics Bee

t
Kent Police help catch alleged prolific graffiti vandal

Tacoma man reportedly had guns, spray paint, rappelling harness and book about taggers in vehicle

COURTESY PHOTO
State Sen. Karen Keiser will officially retire Dec. 10 from the Legislature after 29 years in office.
Process begins to replace retiring state Sen. Karen Keiser

33rd Legislative District Democrats will nominate candidates to King County Council

t
Kundert pleads not guilty in Kent cold case murder

Faces charge of strangling Dorothy Silzel, 30, in 1980 at her condo

Dave Upthegrove. COURTESY PHOTO
Upthegrove looks forward to role as state lands commissioner

Des Moines Democrat will leave King County Council after election victory

COURTESY PHOTO, Kent School District
Kent School District levy passing after initially failing | Update

Nov. 12 results: Yes votes up by 602 with more ballots to be counted

File Photo
Kent Police arrest Texas man in 2013 sexual assault of 6-year-old girl

DNA match reportedly identifies 31-year-old man stationed in 2013 at Joint Base Lewis-McChord

Kent police investigate fatal two-vehicle collision

The collision killed a woman and left a 45-year-old Tacoma driver, suspected of intoxication at the time of the crash, hospitalized.

Competing for the 8th Congressional District: Carmen Goers, left, and Kim Schrier. COURTESY PHOTOS
Adam Smith and Kim Schrier will retain Congress seats | Election 2024

Smith represents the 9th Congressional District and Schrier represents the 8th Congressional District.

Courtesy of Democratic Caucus
Pictured left to right: Sen. Bob Hasegawa (D), Rep. David Hackney, and Rep. Steve Bergquist
Democratic incumbents in lead for 11th Legislative District

Bob Hasegawa, David Hackney and Steve Bergquist have strong leads, with Hasegawa and Hackney running unopposed.