Derek Glasscock: Drunk Mustang driver slams into power pole at 150mph as ‘extremely violent’ crash leaves 2 passengers dead

TEMPE, ARIZONA: Derek Glasscock, 32, is in custody after police claim he was speeding at more than 150 mph before crashing and killing two of his fellow passengers in Tempe over the weekend.

Tempe police observed two cars street racing between Rural and Terrace roads shortly after 1.30 am on Saturday, November 25, 2023.

The cars were speeding above 100 mph in a 35 mph zone, according to court filings. Officers attempted to halt one of the vehicles, a blue Ford Mustang, but it raced away.

Police did not attempt to pursue the car in question, but officers noticed a plume of smoke billowing into the air shortly after.

The Mustang was discovered slammed into a power pole on the east side of Rural Road, just south of Broadway, by authorities.

According to the documents, Glasscock was stuck in the driver's seat and his two passengers were thrown out due to the impact of the crash.

Jesse Ruiz, 32, a passenger, was pronounced dead at the scene, while the other passenger, Maria Rangel, 31, died later at a hospital.

An 'extremely violent' accident

According to court documents, Glasscock admitted to officers that he had been drinking and should not have been behind the wheel.

Police noted that he appeared disoriented and could not recall details from the evening.

After receiving medical attention, Glasscock informed investigators that he had been at a concert at a downtown Tempe bar and had consumed at least three mixed drinks. He claimed he could not remember leaving the bar or anything else until after the crash.

Based on the evidence found at the scene, police believe Glasscock was driving at a speed of 153 mph when the accident occurred.

Documents indicate that after he lost control, the car became airborne, crashing into a utility pole and two palm trees. The Mustang was found to have been over nine feet in the air when it hit one of the palm trees.

Police described the crash as "extremely violent", causing Rangel to be thrown from the vehicle with such force that she was recovered 80 feet away behind a building. Ruiz and Rangel were in a relationship and living together, according to law enforcement officials.

Glasscock was charged with two felony counts of reckless manslaughter and booked into the Maricopa County jail.

What did local residents say?

Claudia Morales, who has lived just down the road from where the crash happened, for the last 30 years, told AZFamily that she’s never seen street racing in the area as bad as it is right now.

“It’s just very tragic,” she said. “It hurts my heart.”

“My boyfriend and I, as we were walking down here he was like ‘Claudia I just don’t know if I want to be walking on the sidewalk’,” she recalled.

She added, “You’re taking your life into your own hands if you’re trying to make a turn at Rural and Southern.”

Tim States, business manager for Our Lady of Mount Carmel Catholic Church, said, “Our prayers go out to everybody impacted. May their souls rest in peace.”

Tim noted that one of the palm trees that the car collided with had to be cut down. “I mean the tree was pretty much cracked in half from the trunk,” he said.

“So it was a safety issue for our preschool kids because it could fall over. Because it got hit so hard from the impact,” he explained.

The city of Tempe needs to take more action to curb high-speed driving, a concern shared by both States and Morales.

“Constant patrols on Rural Road would be actually nice,” Morales suggested. “This has to stop. We hear it all the time.”

“When people drive like that, it’s only a matter of time until an accident happens,” States told the outlet.