Salvador Coronado, 34, from Racine, has been charged in connection with a crash that killed 17-year-old Tyreana Scales and injured four other teenagers. He faces one count of first-degree reckless homicide and four counts of first-degree recklessly endangering safety. The incident occurred on March 9 near the intersection of 16th Street and Taylor Avenue, when Coronado was driving 90 miles per hour in a 35 mph zone. He passed a deputy and later caused a collision with a Chevrolet Impala carrying the victims, who were waiting at a red light, as per WISN.
After the initial speed detection, a deputy from the Racine County Sheriff's Department tried to pursue Coronado but lost sight of the vehicle, as mentioned by CBS 58. The car was later found at the accident scene near a traffic signal post, with damage confirmed by surveillance footage. Despite efforts by first responders to perform CPR, Scales died two days later from her injuries after being airlifted to a hospital for treatment. The community gathered at North Beach on March 14 to honor her memory, an event covered by TMJ4.
A witness to the crash, Veronica Gordon, later identified two of the injured teens as her relatives, her grandson Dammari Hikes, 16, and her nephew Raequan Anderson, 16. Both survived the incident. Gordon shared her experience with WISN, saying, "We went to the hospital to make sure everybody was ok, got to the hospital to realize one of 'em was my nephew." She continued, "And while I am there checking on my nephew, he tells his sister, 'I was in the car with Titi Veronica's grandson,' so then I found out my grandson was in the car as well."
The court has set a $100,000 cash bond for Coronado, who is scheduled to appear for a hearing in one week. If convicted on all charges, he faces up to 110 years in prison and a significant fine, according to TMJ4. Deputies collected a blood sample from Coronado and found a liquor bottle in the damaged Camaro, though it is unclear if the bottle was open at the time of the crash.
