Chesnee, SC – Three high school students died in a terrible crash in September 2023. The 18-year-old guy who caused the crash was sent to prison. The driver, Juan Pablo Ortega-Preciado, admitted to many charges, such as three counts of careless driving that killed someone and driving without a license.
The crash that killed one person happened on September 29, 2023, while Ortega-Preciado was driving his car at 109 miles per hour in a 45 mph zone. As per the police, the young driver went off the road to escape a truck pulling out of a Fairfield Road driveway. The car went through a mailbox, several trees, and finally caught fire. Tragically, the terrible crash killed three of Ortega-Preciado’s guests. They were all teenagers from Chesnee High School.
Four people were killed: Jeffrey Scott Wallace (18), Vladimir Matthew Rybinski (17), and Vitaliy Gregoriy Rybinski, who is 15 years old. All three of them went to Chesnee High School. Their deaths have been very sad for their families, friends, and the whole community.
At the time of the accident, Ortega-Preciado did not have a license to drive, but he was still behind the wheel anyway. Ortega-Preciado was given his sentence in court, where he was held responsible for what he did that day. For the charges of reckless driving that led to death, the court gave him 10 years in jail. That said, his sentence was stayed at eight years in prison and five years of probation for each charge. Ortega-Preciado was also given 30 days in jail for driving without a license.
The terms will be served at the same time, which means that the person will do time for all charges at the same time. In addition, Ortega-Preciado got credit for the 612 days he had already spent in jail since the accident, which made his sentence shorter.
The public has strong feelings about the case. Many are angry and sad about the deaths of three young people. The families of the victims are still dealing with the unbearable sadness of losing their children, and the people of Chesnee are still sad about the deaths of the teens. People said that the Rybinski brothers and Wallace were good people with bright lives ahead of them, which made the tragedy even harder to understand.
The prosecutors stressed how careless Ortega-Preciado was driving by mentioning his high speed and choice to drive without a license. The guy was going more than twice the speed limit, and the crash that happened was terrible. The term was given so that people will remember how dangerous it is to drive recklessly and what can happen when people don’t follow the rules of the road.
Even though the teens who died can’t be brought back to life by a punishment, their families hope that this tragedy will make other people more careful behind the wheel.
Even though the case is over, the effects of this crash are still being felt. The memories of Jeffrey, Vladimir, and Vitaliy will live on in their families and friends forever, and the people of Chesnee will always remember the sad deaths of these three young people.
“This article was written by Mathew Owen. AI tools were used lightly for grammar and formatting, but the ideas, words, and edits are all mine.”
