August 1, 2024 • 39 mins
Rylan Oncale meets his girlfriend, Taliyah Crochet, and two friends just after finishing his first 28-day shift as a deckhand on an oil rig.
The teens enjoy a much-needed night out together on dry land, then pile into Rylan’s Kia Rio to head back to Raceland, taking Highway 3090 inland from the coast.
As Rylan drives through the 1 a.m. darkness, he spots a set of headlights coming towards him. As the car gets closer, Rylan realizes the oncoming Jeep is driving in his lane. Rylan swerves into the left lane to avoid the wrong-way driver, but the Jeep also moves into the left lane and slams into the teens head-on.
The front end of Rylan’s Kia Rio is completely caved in. First responders arrive within minutes, pulling the occupants from the wreckage, but Taliyah is already gone. Rylan is rushed to a hospital, where he also dies of his injuries. The couple’s two friends riding in the back seat also have serious injuries but are stabilized at the hospital.
The Jeep Cherokee is occupied only by driver Axel Flores-Cordoza, who is found completely unharmed despite not wearing a seatbelt. Flores-Cordoza, 18, is unlicensed, has open alcohol in his cupholder, and is clearly drunk.
The teen voluntarily submits to a breath test that results in a BAC just under .14, equivalent to seven times the .02 legal limit in Louisiana for drivers under 21, and nearly twice the limit for drivers of legal drinking age.
Joining Nancy Grace Today:
- Devin Deen - Mother of Taliyah Crochet
- Eric Faddis – Partner at Varner Faddis Elite Legal; Former Felony Prosecutor and Current Criminal Defense and Civil Litigation Attorney; Instagram: @e_fad @varnerfaddis; TikTok: @varnerfaddis
- Sunny Wall - Executive Director, MADD Louisiana; FB: https://www.facebook.com/MADDLouisiana
- Dr. Jan Gorniak – Medical Examiner, Clark County Office of the Coroner/Medical Examiner (Las Vegas, NV), Board Certified Forensic Pathologist
- Sydney Sumner - CrimeOnline Investigative Reporter
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Crime Stories with Nancy Grace. A mother says it's really
just over. They're gone. She is talking about two beautiful
teens dead. Why an undocumented immigrant seven times over the
(00:29):
legal drinking limit kills the two teens. I Nancy Grace,
this is Crime Stories. Thank you for being with us.
Speaker 2 (00:40):
A beautiful young couple killed in a head on collision.
We remember t Leah Cruchet and Rylan on Cow.
Speaker 1 (00:49):
I am looking at this beautiful teen girl to Leah's obituary.
You know how wrong that is to say a teen
girls obituary. She's beautiful on the outside, but on the
inside as well. Interesting the drunk driver is uninjured. Why
(01:14):
does that always happen? But she's dead. Born in Homa, Louisiana,
living in Thibodeaux, attending the Hlbougois High School and more
recently studying at the by Ukine Education Center. This little
(01:38):
girl not only going to school but working at ross
I imagine in the teen clothing area. She was starting
a new job at the waffle house. She's a homebody.
Her family loved her and she loved them. Love spending
(02:01):
time with her sisters and taking road trips. Her beloved dog,
Zena and was smitten by her new teen boyfriend Ryland
Rylan photoed here, also losing his life.
Speaker 3 (02:25):
At the end of this oh bit, it says to.
Speaker 1 (02:28):
Leah's sweet personality will be missed by all who knew her.
To Leia's sweet personality will be missed by all who
knew her. All I can think about, and I'm sure
all of you on the panel and all of you listening,
all I can think about are my twins. About this age.
(02:54):
They go out one day in their car and they
never come home. They come home in a box because
an illegal immigrant was seven times over the legal drinking limit,
seven times over.
Speaker 3 (03:16):
And these two are dead. You know how I found
out about the case.
Speaker 1 (03:22):
I was online and I saw their mother. I saw
to Leah's mother, Devon, crying and saying to the effect,
I can't believe it's all over. They're gone. And I
(03:43):
imagined Devon walking into our home and going back to
the twins room and being dead silent, just dead silent,
And that feeling in the air when you're all alone,
that that feeling and knowing that's what you're going through
every morning, noon, and night.
Speaker 3 (04:05):
Yes, that is it like to go into her room now.
Speaker 4 (04:09):
It's good Wrenchie her oh, her dog, with her life
besides Ryland working like the dog meant everything to her.
And she's still in there, and I know she notices
that Tila's gone.
Speaker 5 (04:22):
My thirteen year old has been sitting one alone.
Speaker 6 (04:25):
That's been hard for her because she's in her sister's
room and her sister's gone.
Speaker 1 (04:31):
What happened the day you found out about the crash?
You know, Devin Deane. When I was reading the obituary
last night, it refers to an accident.
Speaker 3 (04:42):
It's no accident.
Speaker 1 (04:44):
Does not argue pick a fight with a funeral home,
But it is no accident. When somebody drinks and drinks
and drinks, then gets their car, key, goes to the car,
opens it up, gets in, cranks up reverse and drives out.
Speaker 3 (05:01):
Onto the street, that's not an accident.
Speaker 1 (05:03):
Those are multiple decisions that lead into a horrific crash
with your girl.
Speaker 3 (05:11):
That's not an accident. When did you learn about the crash?
Speaker 6 (05:15):
So Talia she had been at She actually had started
her job at waffle house. Ryland just came in from
his first hitch off shore. He was so proud he
was over here and he was only home for two days.
He said he was going to pick up Tala at
nine o'clock PM from waffle House, him and two of
his best friends, Peyton and Peyton and Devin, and they
(05:36):
were going to fouchonp near Grand Isle to go fishing.
Speaker 5 (05:40):
And I even said, why go so far there by?
Speaker 6 (05:42):
You's everywhere around here, and he's like, no, they have
a culvert and there's really good fishing there.
Speaker 5 (05:47):
So they left. In the early hours of the morning.
I heard a really hard knocking. I answered the door.
I thought my boyfriend locked him out.
Speaker 6 (05:56):
I was like, the kids was to come back from fishing,
and he locked the door and the state troopers we're
standing outside. He said, I'm looking for the parents and
to Leah Crocheate Tale has never been in trouble, neither
is Ryland.
Speaker 5 (06:07):
They're great kids. And I was just like why, like
what did she do? Like what's going on? And he
said That's when he told me.
Speaker 6 (06:14):
He said, ma'am Tale has been in an automobile accident
and unfortunately she's passed. And I was just like, na oh,
that's not true. And I was like, where's Rylan. I
almost was waiting for Ryland to walk.
Speaker 5 (06:23):
Out and make it okay, and that's when he told
me Ryland, it passed.
Speaker 3 (06:26):
Also, I was in shock.
Speaker 6 (06:29):
My boyfriend walked out, Thank goodness, because I just kept
staring at where her car was normally parked.
Speaker 5 (06:35):
And then when he handed me our driver's license, I
knew that it was.
Speaker 1 (06:38):
It was.
Speaker 5 (06:38):
It made it real.
Speaker 3 (06:41):
I was listening to you stay earlier. I can't believe it.
They're just they're gone.
Speaker 5 (06:50):
It's still unbelievable, Nancy. I missed him so much, not
just to Leah.
Speaker 4 (06:57):
Ryland worked with me for a while the machine work,
so I had one on one time.
Speaker 3 (07:01):
With this kid. Every day.
Speaker 5 (07:03):
He was like my son.
Speaker 1 (07:04):
I have three.
Speaker 5 (07:05):
Daughters besides my oldest daughter is Beyonce. He had become
my son and I literally saw him every.
Speaker 3 (07:11):
Day, Miss Dane. When did you learn what had happened?
Speaker 1 (07:15):
I mean, when the state trooper comes to your door
and tells you your daughter has is gone, has passed.
When did you realize what actually happened to your girl?
Speaker 6 (07:30):
He may have even told us out there. I was
so out of it, honestly, I just remember thinking, like,
she's dead. And when he handed me the driver's license,
I just kept tapping it and I'm like Oh.
Speaker 5 (07:41):
My god, she's gone. She's gone. I came in.
Speaker 6 (07:44):
I the first first thing I did was wake up
my thirteen year old to tell her. And then I
called Ryland's grandfather in Texas because he was the closest
person to him besides his sister here and his friends.
Speaker 5 (07:57):
And then I had.
Speaker 6 (07:59):
To call and tell my old disaughterer, who's pregnant right now?
I was so I was so scared to call her.
But somewhere along that, I think they did tell us
outside that it was a drunk driver.
Speaker 7 (08:09):
Yeah, it was.
Speaker 6 (08:09):
Actually, I take it back, I do remember he it was.
He did tell us it was a drunk driver that
hit them, because he said Riley was not speeding. They
all had their seat belts on, like they were doing
nothing wrong.
Speaker 5 (08:20):
Because that was one of my things. I'm like, well,
what happened? Everything comes up bits and pieces.
Speaker 6 (08:25):
I'm sorry, But yes, he did tell us out there,
because I remember him specifically saying like we had to
cut them out, like they had their seat belts on,
he wasn't speeding, and I'm like, of course they weren't.
Ryland was so careful, he was. He was everyone's protector,
including hers.
Speaker 1 (08:38):
Let me understand, they had their seat belts on and
they were not spading, so what.
Speaker 3 (08:44):
Happened he I don't know.
Speaker 5 (08:46):
They they said, we we spopked.
Speaker 6 (08:48):
We spoke to the state troopers and they said that
they are doing an investigation into whatever they have that
was in the other vehicle. I guess shows the speed
it was going. They just have to connect it to
some to find out and they said it will be
in the report, like what speed he was going. But
he had to have been flying because it it flew.
We would see the crash slight yesterday for the first time,
(09:09):
and my daughter's car was on the other side of
the little little ditch like it actually flew her car
on the other side of the little ditch. Thank got
it was that side of the road. Though the other
side the other two boys might not have made it
because there was water.
Speaker 1 (09:24):
So her the vehicle, the teen's vehicle was on the
other side of the road.
Speaker 6 (09:31):
They said Rylan was in his lane. The guy axle
was coming. He went into Ryland's lane. When Rylan went
to miss him, he hit him right where to Liam
was sitting and it spun the car and flew it
like off to the side on the other side of
the little culvert area with the little ditch. I couldn't
believe it when I saw it in person.
Speaker 3 (09:52):
How far it was from the road to Sydney.
Speaker 1 (09:54):
Sumner Crime online dot Com investigative reporter. What do we
know about the crash itself?
Speaker 3 (09:59):
Fancy?
Speaker 8 (09:59):
So what we know about this crash is Rylan is driving,
is sitting in the passenger seat.
Speaker 3 (10:04):
They have two passengers in.
Speaker 5 (10:06):
The back seat. These are two of Ryland's friends.
Speaker 8 (10:08):
They are traveling northbound Inland on Highway thirty ninety around
one am. The other driver, Axel Flores Cordoza, is driving
south towards them. Cordoza pulls into the right lane, he
crosses over the middle lane, is driving in Ryland's lane
(10:29):
directly towards them. Ryland sees this and attempts to correct.
He swerves into the left lane to avoid this oncoming car.
Speaker 3 (10:37):
Cordova head on runs into.
Speaker 8 (10:40):
The passenger side front of to Leah's car that Ryland
is driving.
Speaker 1 (10:44):
Just imagine driving in the darkness and seeing a pair
of headlights coming straight for you, straight for you, in
the dark of the night. From what we understand, Ryland
in to try and avoid a head on collision swerves
into the other line, the left lane, but then this
(11:09):
is him trying to get away from the wrong way driver.
Speaker 3 (11:12):
Then the wrong way.
Speaker 1 (11:13):
Driver also corrects, goes back into the left lane and
has a head on collision with the teams. Is that
what happened, Sidney Sumner?
Speaker 8 (11:26):
Yes, Nancy, that is absolutely correct, And as you can see,
the damage to the car was extremely extensive. Ryland and
Talia had to be cut out removed from the car
by firefighters. By the time first responders arrived, Talia was
already gone.
Speaker 1 (11:43):
From what I understand, and correct me if I'm wrong,
Sidney Sumner from Crime Online.
Speaker 3 (11:48):
The driver, the wrong way driver.
Speaker 1 (11:51):
In the middle of the night, was seven times the
legal limit.
Speaker 3 (11:58):
Is that correct? That is correct, Nancy.
Speaker 8 (12:01):
That's what we know from the police report. They have
not released the actual number regarding his.
Speaker 5 (12:06):
BAC, but they do tell us that it.
Speaker 8 (12:08):
Is nearly seven times the legal limit for an underage drinker,
so that would be somebody under the age of twenty one.
That limit is point zero two. So Cordoza had a
BAC of a round point one four, which is almost
double the point eight legal limit four of age drinkers
(12:28):
twenty one and plus.
Speaker 9 (12:30):
The front end of Ryland's Kia Rio is completely carved in.
First responders arrive within minutes, pulling the occupants from the wreckage,
but tu Lea is already gone. Ryland is rushed to
a hospital, where he also dies of his injuries. The
couple's two friends riding in the backseat also have serious injuries,
but are stabilized.
Speaker 3 (12:49):
At the hospital.
Speaker 2 (12:57):
The eighteen year old suspect was driving under the influence
when he's swerved into the opposite lane, hitting fourteens head on.
Speaker 1 (13:08):
Two beautiful teens dead. Why because an illegal immigrant? An
undocumented alien here in the US, drives seven times the
legal limit and plows into these two while driving on
the wrong side.
Speaker 3 (13:27):
Of the road in the middle of the night, in
the complete darkness. Listen.
Speaker 10 (13:32):
The jeep Cherokee is only occupied by driver Axel Flores Cordoza,
who's found completely unharmed despite not wearing a seat belt.
Flores Cordoza, eighteen, is unlicensed, has open alcohol in his
cup holder, and is clearly drunk. The team voluntarily submits
to a breath test. The results in a BAC just
under point one point four, equivalent to seven times the
(13:53):
point zero two legal limit for drivers under twenty one
and nearly twice the limit for drivers of legal drinking age.
Speaker 1 (14:00):
Joining me in addition to this, grieving mother Devin Dean,
Eric Fatas with me, Veterin trial lawyer, doctor Jan Gorniac,
renowned medical examiner, Sidney Sumner, investigative crime reporter, and Sonny
Wall joining us, the executive director from MAD Louisiana Mothers
(14:22):
Against Driving.
Speaker 3 (14:24):
Sonny, thank you for being with us.
Speaker 1 (14:26):
Explain to me how many drinks this guy had to
have in order to be seven times the legal limit.
Speaker 11 (14:35):
Well, first and foremost, Nancy, thanks for bringing light to
this under horrible circumstances. The number one thing, and there
are many components to Matt. You know, underage drinking in
itself is illegal, period, so that's breaking them along. In
the beginning, every miner we see about forty three hundred
(14:56):
miners passing away every year due to being strength because
of alcohol poisoning, because the brain's not fully developed to
the mid twenties and therefore they're not processing it their
accurate ways. So I couldn't really give you a specific
amount of what this alleged person have impaired person had
taken in but any amounts too much.
Speaker 5 (15:16):
That's what I can tell you.
Speaker 1 (15:17):
Generally speaking, the guidelines and anybody can find these online.
It doesn't take a legal scholar to find it. General guidelines.
Within about a span of an hour, it would take
about four drinks four drinks for a man or woman
to reach the legal drinking limit. That means, under the law,
(15:42):
which is insane, you can have four drinks.
Speaker 3 (15:48):
For a man, three drinks for a woman.
Speaker 1 (15:50):
This is a man, so four drinks and still be
under the legal limit of point zero eight.
Speaker 3 (15:56):
Okay.
Speaker 1 (15:56):
Now we know this guy, the undocumented ailien, was seven
times over the point zero.
Speaker 3 (16:05):
Two for his age. Okay.
Speaker 1 (16:09):
Other general guidelines, it takes five drinks, depending on metabolism,
your weight, your gender, five drinks.
Speaker 3 (16:20):
To get to legal limit.
Speaker 1 (16:22):
This guy's point two time seven, which makes him point
one four.
Speaker 3 (16:28):
So this is.
Speaker 1 (16:29):
About ten alcoholic drinks. Ten alcoholic drinks.
Speaker 3 (16:39):
Okay.
Speaker 1 (16:40):
That said to Eric Fattus, veteran trial lawyer or TV
legal analyst founding partner Varner and Fattest Elite legal jump in, Eric,
I want to hear your defense to this.
Speaker 12 (16:55):
Oh dear, this is a really tough one anyway you
look at it.
Speaker 3 (16:59):
It is completely devastating. I hope you're not going to
say that.
Speaker 1 (17:02):
To the walk to the jury when you're defending some
guy like this. Oh dear, oh my lions and tigers
and bears. Uh no, you better say something to get.
Speaker 3 (17:13):
Your client off the hook. And I don't know how
the hey you're gonna do that. Did you hear what
I just said about.
Speaker 1 (17:19):
How many drinks this guy had to have to be
seven times the legal limit for his age.
Speaker 3 (17:26):
That's point one.
Speaker 12 (17:27):
Four, absolutely, but you know there are some mitigating circumstances.
Not that it excuses anything. He was eighteen, As the
mad executive director said, his brain was not fully developed.
That doesn't excuse the decisions he made, but it puts
it into context and puts it into perspective.
Speaker 3 (17:44):
Are you serious? My head's blowing off? Did you what
did you just say? Did you say his brain wasn't
fully formed? You know where you can stick that right?
His brain is not fully armed. Oh.
Speaker 1 (18:01):
I can't wait for that to be argued in front
of the jury.
Speaker 12 (18:05):
And typically that kind of thing would be argued in
front of a judge at sentencing, to just give perspective
in context, in terms of culpability, in terms of moral blameworthiness.
Oftentimes judges will look at a person's age, their development,
but also past criminal history. I'm not aware of any
criminal history for this gentleman.
Speaker 1 (18:22):
We don't know because he's not from here. We don't
have his record. How do I know what his record
was from another country? He's from Hoan, Duras. How do
I know what he did there? He could have done anything,
I hear you.
Speaker 12 (18:36):
And it's a problem when it comes to enforcing the
laws and sort of the influx of migrants recently, because
we can't exactly tell what is in their background and
whether there are any there is any prior criminality, any
prior substance issues. Certainly the defense attorney will look into that.
Speaker 3 (18:51):
They may hire a mitigation.
Speaker 12 (18:52):
Specialist, conduct a full sort of psychological evaluation and present
that to try and lessen the sentence for for this general.
Speaker 1 (19:00):
A psychological evaluation to tell me, while these two teams.
Speaker 3 (19:05):
Are dead, why they are dead?
Speaker 1 (19:08):
Can you imagine what they experience in the middle of
the night, probably trying to come home from fishing, and
they see in the dark this guy drunk coming at
them in.
Speaker 3 (19:22):
The wrong lane. It's one am.
Speaker 1 (19:25):
He tries ryland tries to maneuver away, and then this
guy maneuvers at the same time too late, and they crash.
And just to chop it all off, he doesn't have
a license, he is not wearing a seat belt, and
he lives.
Speaker 3 (19:43):
Where is the justice in that? There is an absence
of justice.
Speaker 12 (19:48):
And it's bizarred that sometimes we see in these drunk
driving cases where the driver, the drunk driver lives. I've
heard speculation that it's because they don't brace for the
impact and somehow that they turn out better off than
the individuals who were doing nothing wrong and turn out
to be victims in a horrible tragedy like this.
Speaker 1 (20:05):
You know what, Eric Fattus, I got to hand it
to you, I really do. I don't agree with anything
that you're saying. Is just like Satan himself spat it
out on the air, but.
Speaker 3 (20:16):
You never give up. I knock you down one theory
after the next.
Speaker 1 (20:20):
His brain's not formed, really, then, how did he know
how to order drinks? How did he know to get
to his car crank it up? How did he get here?
His brain is formed? He managed to make his way here,
all the way from the Honduras.
Speaker 3 (20:35):
Okay, so his brain is formed.
Speaker 1 (20:38):
Then you're telling me he needs a psychological evaluation.
Speaker 3 (20:41):
I mean, I do have to hand it to you.
Speaker 1 (20:43):
You do never give up and no matter what I
throw at you, And I guess that's kind of lawyer
this guy will need. I'm trying to understand something about
what happened to these two teams. No license, not wearing
seat belt. Doctor Jen Gorniac is joining me, renowned medical
(21:05):
examiner formerly with Clark County Office of the Coroner. Never
like a business in Vegas, Doctor Gorniac at World Peace
Forendsic Consulting. What does that mean? Because it can't be
just anecdotal. And when I say anecdotal, I mean anecdotes stories.
It can't be just stories because I hear it over
(21:26):
and over and over and over that the perp who
is completely drunk, stinking drunk had to have what did
I say, Jackie eight or ten drinks before he got
behind the wheel, hard liquor drinks. How is it that
I keep hearing the drunk person without a seat belt
(21:48):
lives and the two teams who are not drinking and
are in a seat belt they die.
Speaker 7 (21:55):
It is I don't think anybody has that answer. And
you're absolutely right, You always here of the impaired driver
walking away and leaving victims behind. I'm not sure we
can always speculate on the fact that as the victims,
as we're driving and we see it, we try and
(22:16):
we have the wherewithal to try to avoid any collision,
and the impaired driver just reacts, you know what I mean,
and unfortunately doesn't react properly.
Speaker 3 (22:29):
Doctor gorneyact.
Speaker 1 (22:30):
There's got to be something to it that the drunk
driver is not bracing for impact, because I hear lawyers,
medical examiners say it over and over that they're so
drunk they kind of go with the collision. I don't
understand how that works, but I've heard that explanation. We
(22:53):
just heard it from Status. He's not the first one
to say it, and maybe there's some truth to it.
Speaker 7 (22:58):
I also think, well, especially at that level of a
point one four, your judgment and your perception are going
to be affected. So you know, Riley was trying to
Rylan was trying to move out of the way, right,
judgment perception intact, compared to someone who's impaired or you know, intoxicated,
(23:19):
legally drunk. His response was to go back into the
same lane and even though that car is still coming
instead of going the opposite way. And I think it's
because of the effect of the alcohol. You know, your
perception and judgment is also impaired.
Speaker 2 (23:39):
The two teens riding in the backseat of the car
suffered major injuries but are in stable condition, while te
Leah died at the scene and Ryland shortly after at
the hospital.
Speaker 1 (23:52):
And then Mom has woken up in the middle of
the night with a shrimper to tell her hur tane
girl with her life in front of her is dead
thanks to a drunk driver. A drunk undocumented alien driver,
an illegal immigrant from the hung durists seven times over
(24:13):
the legal limit, no license, no seatbelt, nothing, just a
car full a drunk driving Back to Devin Dean joining
me in joining us from Homer, Louisiana. This is Talia
Cruchet's mother, Devin. When you hear all of these arguments,
(24:33):
his brain, the defendant's brain, had informed he needs psychological.
Speaker 3 (24:38):
Blah blah blah. All I keep thinking about is hearing you.
Speaker 1 (24:44):
It sounded like your heart was actually breaking when you
said it's really over.
Speaker 3 (24:50):
They're gone.
Speaker 5 (24:51):
Yeah, it still is.
Speaker 6 (24:53):
Honestly, Nancy, I say so busy making sure all the
kids are taken care of. We've passed some of his
friends that have spent time with us in the last week,
other ones and their parents reaching out to us constantly.
I don't I've just I've just stayed so busy. I
don't even know if I'm fully accepting or going through
the grief. Ya to be honest with you, because I'm
(25:13):
so concerned about all the kids. Rylan's sister here, Madison,
his family in Texas, my thirteen year old, and like
I said, my twenty four year old is she's pregnant,
So I mean this is extremely stress was.
Speaker 5 (25:26):
Time for her.
Speaker 6 (25:28):
Honestly, I've just been holding it together and making sure
they're all taken care of right now.
Speaker 5 (25:31):
I think it's what's keeping me going.
Speaker 6 (25:34):
But I'm so broken every time I think that my
baby girl is just really not here and not coming home. Honestly,
it's just it's something no one can ever understand. And
people say this, but until you experience it.
Speaker 5 (25:44):
You will never understand.
Speaker 6 (25:46):
Tealiah was such a sweet person and she always like
she was the one I said.
Speaker 5 (25:50):
I always joke and say she.
Speaker 6 (25:51):
Kept us on our toes because she did so and
one of the day that she passed. The first thing
I said was, what are we gonna do? Like I
told my boyfriend, what are we gonna do now? We
don't have her? We all just you know, we're always
so involved with her, with everything, and now she's just gone.
Speaker 1 (26:06):
Joining us an all star panel to make sense of
what we are hearing to Sunny Wall joining us executive
director of Mad Mothers Against Drunk Driving Louisiana.
Speaker 3 (26:17):
How do you deal with.
Speaker 1 (26:19):
Moms dads that have to endure the loss of their
children to a drunk driver, in this case, seven times
over the legal limit.
Speaker 11 (26:29):
It's absolutely one of the most horrific things that anyone
can experience in their lives. We are a victim's first
organization and we have victim advocates that reach out after
a certain amount of time to offer services at no
cost to them to make sure that our justice system
(26:50):
does its job, and you know, explain to them how
no one is given a book, Nancy, on what to
do when this happens. We're not handed. This is a
club no one wants to join, and with good reason.
It's absolutely heart wrenching and we are devastated for all
that's happened, and we are here for the victims. First, victims,
(27:12):
family First. It's just heart wrenching. There is no sense
to it, and you're right, but you said earlier, this
is not an accident. An accident is something without intent.
But when you become impaired and get behind the wheel,
you're driving a two ton weapon and that's a choice.
It's a senseless, one hundred percent preventable crime, and we
(27:34):
need to stop it.
Speaker 3 (27:35):
Listen.
Speaker 13 (27:35):
Actual Flora's Cordoza is immediately arrested on several traffic charges
and DWI. During this processing, Louisiana Say police determined Flora's
Cordoza is not a US citizen and came to the
country illegally from his native Honduras. As cops learned the
status of his victims that Tleah Crochet and Ryan on
Cal have passed away, Flora's Cordoza is additionally charged with
two counts of duivehicular homicide and two counts of vehicular
(27:58):
negligence injuring.
Speaker 3 (28:00):
More do we learn Listen?
Speaker 10 (28:02):
The jeep Cherokey is only occupied by driver Axel Flores Cordoza,
who's found completely unharmed despite not wearing a seat belt.
Flores Cordoza eighteen, is unlicensed, has open alcohol in his
cup holder, and is clearly drunk. The team voluntarily submits
to a breath test. The results in a BAC just
under point one four, equivalent to seven times the point
(28:23):
zero two legal limit for drivers under twenty one and
nearly twice the limit for drivers of legal drinking age.
Speaker 1 (28:29):
To Eric Fattis, you have handled so many dui Vehicular
homicides is what they're called. I really don't think that
they should be distinguished from malice murder. Vehicular homicides are
equivalent to a manslaughter, where you don't have the requisite requisite.
Speaker 3 (28:48):
Intent to commit a crime.
Speaker 1 (28:52):
I disagree, because every time you take a drink, in
this case seven to eight alcoholic drinks, hard alcohol, every drink,
every swallow, was a decision, and it's a decision to
drive after drinking. To me, you know, of course, the
law is very clear. Intent to commit a crime can
(29:14):
be either express or not implicit. Explicit or implicit explicit.
That's when I say, Eric.
Speaker 3 (29:24):
Fattis, I've had it and I shoot you in the head.
Speaker 1 (29:27):
I'm killing you, man. That's explicitly stated. Implicit means the
law determines you intended the act based on your actions
what you did, and that is the case here. There
is explicit evidence he meant to drink and drive with
(29:49):
the consequence death.
Speaker 12 (29:51):
I hear you, and it's a fair point. I think
what the law it makes a distinguished a distinction on
is you know, the intent to really take a life
is different than than just being reckless and knowingly disregarding
a substantial risk that ends in tragedy. Unfortunately, they both
have the same outcome. And a lot of people think
that that point matters substantially, and I understand that. But
(30:13):
when we're looking at the choices the perpetrator made, the
law would say that the choice to try and intentionally
take someone's life is different than being reckless than taking
a risk.
Speaker 3 (30:25):
And we're talking about an.
Speaker 12 (30:26):
Eighteen year old here, clearly a horrible decision, but I'm
not sure in his mind did he ever intend to
kill somebody. And I'm not sure that that intent would
be implicit in just making bad decisions.
Speaker 3 (30:36):
I didn't mean to kill anybody.
Speaker 1 (30:38):
How about if I take a gun and point it
at year head and pull the trigger and they.
Speaker 3 (30:43):
Say, oops, I didn't mean to kill him. I just
meant to scare him.
Speaker 12 (30:47):
You know, there's certainly a weapon involved, like the mad
director said, but it's just a different scenario. When a
person acts with this reckless disregard. Now that's not okay either,
But I think that our law and our legislators have
said that that choice is less culpable than someone who
really wants to steal another person's life. I just don't
(31:09):
have any evidence that this driver have that such intent,
although he did, of course act recklessly.
Speaker 3 (31:15):
It has been.
Speaker 2 (31:22):
It's really just over, like they're gone. A grieving mother
speaks out about the devastating loss of her daughter and
her daughter's boyfriend.
Speaker 1 (31:33):
Te Lea and Ryan, both gone after an undocumented individual,
also known as an illegal immigrant from Honduras comes to
our country, gets seven times over the legal drink limit.
Speaker 3 (31:50):
Drives on the wrong side.
Speaker 1 (31:51):
Of the road in the dark, and mows into these
two beautiful teens now angels.
Speaker 3 (32:00):
How did the whole thing start?
Speaker 13 (32:02):
Listen to Leah crochet Is head over heels for Ryland
on Cow, the Louisiana eighteen year olds to meet just
after graduating from neighboring hl Bourgeois and Central Laforcee High schools,
they quickly become inseparable, to Lea even going with Ryland
to Heartland, Texas to spend several weeks with his family.
To Leah can't wait for Ryland to return to Raceland
after starting a new job with Gulf Logistics working as
(32:23):
a deckhand.
Speaker 1 (32:24):
These two had just graduated from high school, all one
at the HL Bourgeois and one at Central Lafourche, and
they immediately fall in popul love.
Speaker 9 (32:39):
Listen Ryland on Cow meets girlfriend to Leah Crochet and
two friends in Port Fortune, just after finishing his first
twenty eight day shift as a deckhand on an oil rig.
The teens enjoy a much needed night out together on
dry Land, then poland Ryland's Kia Rio to head back
to Raceland, taking Highway thirty ninety Inland from the Cost
(33:00):
on their.
Speaker 3 (33:00):
Way home from fishing together that night.
Speaker 10 (33:04):
This happens as Rylan drives through the one am darkness,
he spots a set of headlights coming towards him. As
the car gets closer, Rylan realizes the oncoming jeep is
driving in his lane. Rylan swerves into the left lane
to avoid the wrong way driver, but the jeep also
corrects back into the left lane and slams into the
teens head on, the front end.
Speaker 1 (33:25):
Of the Kia is totally destroyed. Can you imagine what
happened to the driver and the passenger up front?
Speaker 9 (33:34):
Listen, the front end of Ryland's Kia Rio is completely
carved in. First responders arrive within minutes, pulling the occupants
from the wreckage, but to Lea is already gone. Ryland
is rushed to a hospital, where he also dies of
his injuries. The couple's two friends riding in the backseat
also have serious injuries, but are stabilized at the hospital.
Speaker 1 (33:55):
Right now, Medical examiner doctor Jane gorniack joining us. I
know you've handled a lot of the hicky or homicide cases.
Looking at the front of that car, that Kia Rio
is totally destroyed.
Speaker 3 (34:12):
What do you make of the cause of death?
Speaker 1 (34:15):
Could they have survived even for moments after impact?
Speaker 3 (34:20):
What would they have endured?
Speaker 7 (34:22):
Doctor Gorniac, Especially on that passenger side, you can see
the intrusion into the car. I would believe there are
I would say multiple blood force injuries, crush injuries, even
sometimes the seat belt. I don't know if you've ever
been in a car crash, and the seat belt tightens up.
That can cause some neck injuries. So I can assume
(34:45):
that you know she had neck injuries, chest injuries, crushing injuries,
especially too when you have al bags deploying, so then
you get pushed from both sides. Ryland probably the same thing.
Most likely you have the steering wheel that can cause
chest injuries, head injuries. You see, I'm not sure that
(35:07):
glass was probably a combination of the collision and the
firefighters using the quote unquote jaws of life to extricate them.
But it's a lot of compression, I would say compression,
so lung injuries, rib injuries, head injuries, neck injuries, so
just I mean a massive amount of injuries, especially being
(35:33):
pronounced dead at the scene.
Speaker 2 (35:35):
The Onseene breath test revealed the driver's blood alcohol level
was seven times the legal limit for an underage driver.
Speaker 1 (35:46):
Joining me is Talia's mother, Devin Dane joining us from Louisiana.
I just don't know how you had the strength to
go through the funeral.
Speaker 3 (35:58):
How did you get through that?
Speaker 6 (36:00):
Honestly, Nancy, the days leading up to the funeral, we
were so busy making sure that Rylan and Talia had
the most beautiful service and had the best of everything
that we could give them, and from there it's really
just been making sure all the other kids are okay.
Speaker 5 (36:16):
I have my moments.
Speaker 6 (36:17):
I break down a little bit here and there, but
for the most part, we're all staying very close knit,
and my daughters have been coming.
Speaker 5 (36:23):
Over every day. Madison's been coming over every day. That's
Ryland's sister. We've all just been a unit and kind
of keeping each other's spirits up.
Speaker 6 (36:31):
And right now it's working, but I know at some
point that that's not going to be able to continue,
and honestly, that's probably what I'm more scared of than anything.
Speaker 1 (36:38):
What bits and pieces do you recall of the funeral.
Speaker 5 (36:42):
Over I remember the entire thing. I was very alert
and aware.
Speaker 6 (36:47):
Every time I would blink, someone else was grabbing me
and hugging me, and it felt like a million people.
Speaker 5 (36:53):
To be honest, it felt like I was there for
ten hours versus four.
Speaker 6 (36:58):
It was just crazy, the amount of the outpouring of
love that we had at that funeral and that service.
But girls, seeing all those children break down, kids their
age that should never have to see a friend of
theirs in a casket was absolutely the worst that was
the worst thing.
Speaker 5 (37:15):
I was like me as a mom, my heart, my
mom heart is broken.
Speaker 1 (37:18):
Devin, you sited that there were youngsters there that actually
saw to Leah in her casket. It was an open
casket funeral.
Speaker 6 (37:29):
We were blessed enough that she did have extensive injuries
to the right side of her face where the car hit,
but the left side she was perfectly beautiful, so we
were able to fix her hair to where.
Speaker 5 (37:41):
It covered half of her face and the other half.
Speaker 4 (37:44):
Of her face was beautiful and looked just like her,
and Ry will look perfect.
Speaker 1 (37:50):
I just don't know how you're putting one foot in
front of the other. What is your message to other parents?
Speaker 6 (38:00):
First and foremost, my biggest thing was I was always
so careful with my kids.
Speaker 5 (38:04):
I always told them, you know, this is what.
Speaker 3 (38:06):
You need to do.
Speaker 5 (38:06):
You need to be careful, watch this. It doesn't matter.
Speaker 6 (38:09):
It genuinely doesn't matter, because no matter how careful they are,
when something like this happens, my.
Speaker 5 (38:15):
Kids are gone and they did nothing wrong. They were
having a good afternoon out fishing. Don't drink and drive.
Teach your children, stop others from drinking and driving. Do
not get behind the wheel if you're intoxicated because this
is not worth it.
Speaker 6 (38:28):
It's just not like there's nothing that they can measure
up to what this family is going through. And not
even just a family. This is rocked our Try Parish area.
Like the outpouring, like I said, of love is just unbelievable.
People crying daily, reaching out to me like it's so sad.
Speaker 3 (38:47):
Guys.
Speaker 1 (38:48):
The toll free tip number for Mad Mothers Against drunk
Driving eight seven seven Mad Help eight seven seven six ' two.
Speaker 3 (38:59):
Three three four three five.
Speaker 1 (39:03):
If we can even stop one dunk driving fatality, it's
all worth it. And our prayers go out to Devon
and the family of Ryland.
Speaker 3 (39:19):
Nancy Gray signing off goodbye friend,
Crime Stories with Nancy Grace. A mother says it's really
just over. They're gone. She is talking about two beautiful
teens dead. Why an undocumented immigrant seven times over the
(00:29):
legal drinking limit kills the two teens. I Nancy Grace,
this is Crime Stories. Thank you for being with us.
Speaker 2 (00:40):
A beautiful young couple killed in a head on collision.
We remember t Leah Cruchet and Rylan on Cow.
Speaker 1 (00:49):
I am looking at this beautiful teen girl to Leah's obituary.
You know how wrong that is to say a teen
girls obituary. She's beautiful on the outside, but on the
inside as well. Interesting the drunk driver is uninjured. Why
(01:14):
does that always happen? But she's dead. Born in Homa, Louisiana,
living in Thibodeaux, attending the Hlbougois High School and more
recently studying at the by Ukine Education Center. This little
(01:38):
girl not only going to school but working at ross
I imagine in the teen clothing area. She was starting
a new job at the waffle house. She's a homebody.
Her family loved her and she loved them. Love spending
(02:01):
time with her sisters and taking road trips. Her beloved dog,
Zena and was smitten by her new teen boyfriend Ryland
Rylan photoed here, also losing his life.
Speaker 3 (02:25):
At the end of this oh bit, it says to.
Speaker 1 (02:28):
Leah's sweet personality will be missed by all who knew her.
To Leia's sweet personality will be missed by all who
knew her. All I can think about, and I'm sure
all of you on the panel and all of you listening,
all I can think about are my twins. About this age.
(02:54):
They go out one day in their car and they
never come home. They come home in a box because
an illegal immigrant was seven times over the legal drinking limit,
seven times over.
Speaker 3 (03:16):
And these two are dead. You know how I found
out about the case.
Speaker 1 (03:22):
I was online and I saw their mother. I saw
to Leah's mother, Devon, crying and saying to the effect,
I can't believe it's all over. They're gone. And I
(03:43):
imagined Devon walking into our home and going back to
the twins room and being dead silent, just dead silent,
And that feeling in the air when you're all alone,
that that feeling and knowing that's what you're going through
every morning, noon, and night.
Speaker 3 (04:05):
Yes, that is it like to go into her room now.
Speaker 4 (04:09):
It's good Wrenchie her oh, her dog, with her life
besides Ryland working like the dog meant everything to her.
And she's still in there, and I know she notices
that Tila's gone.
Speaker 5 (04:22):
My thirteen year old has been sitting one alone.
Speaker 6 (04:25):
That's been hard for her because she's in her sister's
room and her sister's gone.
Speaker 1 (04:31):
What happened the day you found out about the crash?
You know, Devin Deane. When I was reading the obituary
last night, it refers to an accident.
Speaker 3 (04:42):
It's no accident.
Speaker 1 (04:44):
Does not argue pick a fight with a funeral home,
But it is no accident. When somebody drinks and drinks
and drinks, then gets their car, key, goes to the car,
opens it up, gets in, cranks up reverse and drives out.
Speaker 3 (05:01):
Onto the street, that's not an accident.
Speaker 1 (05:03):
Those are multiple decisions that lead into a horrific crash
with your girl.
Speaker 3 (05:11):
That's not an accident. When did you learn about the crash?
Speaker 6 (05:15):
So Talia she had been at She actually had started
her job at waffle house. Ryland just came in from
his first hitch off shore. He was so proud he
was over here and he was only home for two days.
He said he was going to pick up Tala at
nine o'clock PM from waffle House, him and two of
his best friends, Peyton and Peyton and Devin, and they
(05:36):
were going to fouchonp near Grand Isle to go fishing.
Speaker 5 (05:40):
And I even said, why go so far there by?
Speaker 6 (05:42):
You's everywhere around here, and he's like, no, they have
a culvert and there's really good fishing there.
Speaker 5 (05:47):
So they left. In the early hours of the morning.
I heard a really hard knocking. I answered the door.
I thought my boyfriend locked him out.
Speaker 6 (05:56):
I was like, the kids was to come back from fishing,
and he locked the door and the state troopers we're
standing outside. He said, I'm looking for the parents and
to Leah Crocheate Tale has never been in trouble, neither
is Ryland.
Speaker 5 (06:07):
They're great kids. And I was just like why, like
what did she do? Like what's going on? And he
said That's when he told me.
Speaker 6 (06:14):
He said, ma'am Tale has been in an automobile accident
and unfortunately she's passed. And I was just like, na oh,
that's not true. And I was like, where's Rylan. I
almost was waiting for Ryland to walk.
Speaker 5 (06:23):
Out and make it okay, and that's when he told
me Ryland, it passed.
Speaker 3 (06:26):
Also, I was in shock.
Speaker 6 (06:29):
My boyfriend walked out, Thank goodness, because I just kept
staring at where her car was normally parked.
Speaker 5 (06:35):
And then when he handed me our driver's license, I
knew that it was.
Speaker 1 (06:38):
It was.
Speaker 5 (06:38):
It made it real.
Speaker 3 (06:41):
I was listening to you stay earlier. I can't believe it.
They're just they're gone.
Speaker 5 (06:50):
It's still unbelievable, Nancy. I missed him so much, not
just to Leah.
Speaker 4 (06:57):
Ryland worked with me for a while the machine work,
so I had one on one time.
Speaker 3 (07:01):
With this kid. Every day.
Speaker 5 (07:03):
He was like my son.
Speaker 1 (07:04):
I have three.
Speaker 5 (07:05):
Daughters besides my oldest daughter is Beyonce. He had become
my son and I literally saw him every.
Speaker 3 (07:11):
Day, Miss Dane. When did you learn what had happened?
Speaker 1 (07:15):
I mean, when the state trooper comes to your door
and tells you your daughter has is gone, has passed.
When did you realize what actually happened to your girl?
Speaker 6 (07:30):
He may have even told us out there. I was
so out of it, honestly, I just remember thinking, like,
she's dead. And when he handed me the driver's license,
I just kept tapping it and I'm like Oh.
Speaker 5 (07:41):
My god, she's gone. She's gone. I came in.
Speaker 6 (07:44):
I the first first thing I did was wake up
my thirteen year old to tell her. And then I
called Ryland's grandfather in Texas because he was the closest
person to him besides his sister here and his friends.
Speaker 5 (07:57):
And then I had.
Speaker 6 (07:59):
To call and tell my old disaughterer, who's pregnant right now?
I was so I was so scared to call her.
But somewhere along that, I think they did tell us
outside that it was a drunk driver.
Speaker 7 (08:09):
Yeah, it was.
Speaker 6 (08:09):
Actually, I take it back, I do remember he it was.
He did tell us it was a drunk driver that
hit them, because he said Riley was not speeding. They
all had their seat belts on, like they were doing
nothing wrong.
Speaker 5 (08:20):
Because that was one of my things. I'm like, well,
what happened? Everything comes up bits and pieces.
Speaker 6 (08:25):
I'm sorry, But yes, he did tell us out there,
because I remember him specifically saying like we had to
cut them out, like they had their seat belts on,
he wasn't speeding, and I'm like, of course they weren't.
Ryland was so careful, he was. He was everyone's protector,
including hers.
Speaker 1 (08:38):
Let me understand, they had their seat belts on and
they were not spading, so what.
Speaker 3 (08:44):
Happened he I don't know.
Speaker 5 (08:46):
They they said, we we spopked.
Speaker 6 (08:48):
We spoke to the state troopers and they said that
they are doing an investigation into whatever they have that
was in the other vehicle. I guess shows the speed
it was going. They just have to connect it to
some to find out and they said it will be
in the report, like what speed he was going. But
he had to have been flying because it it flew.
We would see the crash slight yesterday for the first time,
(09:09):
and my daughter's car was on the other side of
the little little ditch like it actually flew her car
on the other side of the little ditch. Thank got
it was that side of the road. Though the other
side the other two boys might not have made it
because there was water.
Speaker 1 (09:24):
So her the vehicle, the teen's vehicle was on the
other side of the road.
Speaker 6 (09:31):
They said Rylan was in his lane. The guy axle
was coming. He went into Ryland's lane. When Rylan went
to miss him, he hit him right where to Liam
was sitting and it spun the car and flew it
like off to the side on the other side of
the little culvert area with the little ditch. I couldn't
believe it when I saw it in person.
Speaker 3 (09:52):
How far it was from the road to Sydney.
Speaker 1 (09:54):
Sumner Crime online dot Com investigative reporter. What do we
know about the crash itself?
Speaker 3 (09:59):
Fancy?
Speaker 8 (09:59):
So what we know about this crash is Rylan is driving,
is sitting in the passenger seat.
Speaker 3 (10:04):
They have two passengers in.
Speaker 5 (10:06):
The back seat. These are two of Ryland's friends.
Speaker 8 (10:08):
They are traveling northbound Inland on Highway thirty ninety around
one am. The other driver, Axel Flores Cordoza, is driving
south towards them. Cordoza pulls into the right lane, he
crosses over the middle lane, is driving in Ryland's lane
(10:29):
directly towards them. Ryland sees this and attempts to correct.
He swerves into the left lane to avoid this oncoming car.
Speaker 3 (10:37):
Cordova head on runs into.
Speaker 8 (10:40):
The passenger side front of to Leah's car that Ryland
is driving.
Speaker 1 (10:44):
Just imagine driving in the darkness and seeing a pair
of headlights coming straight for you, straight for you, in
the dark of the night. From what we understand, Ryland
in to try and avoid a head on collision swerves
into the other line, the left lane, but then this
(11:09):
is him trying to get away from the wrong way driver.
Speaker 3 (11:12):
Then the wrong way.
Speaker 1 (11:13):
Driver also corrects, goes back into the left lane and
has a head on collision with the teams. Is that
what happened, Sidney Sumner?
Speaker 8 (11:26):
Yes, Nancy, that is absolutely correct, And as you can see,
the damage to the car was extremely extensive. Ryland and
Talia had to be cut out removed from the car
by firefighters. By the time first responders arrived, Talia was
already gone.
Speaker 1 (11:43):
From what I understand, and correct me if I'm wrong,
Sidney Sumner from Crime Online.
Speaker 3 (11:48):
The driver, the wrong way driver.
Speaker 1 (11:51):
In the middle of the night, was seven times the
legal limit.
Speaker 3 (11:58):
Is that correct? That is correct, Nancy.
Speaker 8 (12:01):
That's what we know from the police report. They have
not released the actual number regarding his.
Speaker 5 (12:06):
BAC, but they do tell us that it.
Speaker 8 (12:08):
Is nearly seven times the legal limit for an underage drinker,
so that would be somebody under the age of twenty one.
That limit is point zero two. So Cordoza had a
BAC of a round point one four, which is almost
double the point eight legal limit four of age drinkers
(12:28):
twenty one and plus.
Speaker 9 (12:30):
The front end of Ryland's Kia Rio is completely carved in.
First responders arrive within minutes, pulling the occupants from the wreckage,
but tu Lea is already gone. Ryland is rushed to
a hospital, where he also dies of his injuries. The
couple's two friends riding in the backseat also have serious injuries,
but are stabilized.
Speaker 3 (12:49):
At the hospital.
Speaker 2 (12:57):
The eighteen year old suspect was driving under the influence
when he's swerved into the opposite lane, hitting fourteens head on.
Speaker 1 (13:08):
Two beautiful teens dead. Why because an illegal immigrant? An
undocumented alien here in the US, drives seven times the
legal limit and plows into these two while driving on
the wrong side.
Speaker 3 (13:27):
Of the road in the middle of the night, in
the complete darkness. Listen.
Speaker 10 (13:32):
The jeep Cherokee is only occupied by driver Axel Flores Cordoza,
who's found completely unharmed despite not wearing a seat belt.
Flores Cordoza, eighteen, is unlicensed, has open alcohol in his
cup holder, and is clearly drunk. The team voluntarily submits
to a breath test. The results in a BAC just
under point one point four, equivalent to seven times the
(13:53):
point zero two legal limit for drivers under twenty one
and nearly twice the limit for drivers of legal drinking age.
Speaker 1 (14:00):
Joining me in addition to this, grieving mother Devin Dean,
Eric Fatas with me, Veterin trial lawyer, doctor Jan Gorniac,
renowned medical examiner, Sidney Sumner, investigative crime reporter, and Sonny
Wall joining us, the executive director from MAD Louisiana Mothers
(14:22):
Against Driving.
Speaker 3 (14:24):
Sonny, thank you for being with us.
Speaker 1 (14:26):
Explain to me how many drinks this guy had to
have in order to be seven times the legal limit.
Speaker 11 (14:35):
Well, first and foremost, Nancy, thanks for bringing light to
this under horrible circumstances. The number one thing, and there
are many components to Matt. You know, underage drinking in
itself is illegal, period, so that's breaking them along. In
the beginning, every miner we see about forty three hundred
(14:56):
miners passing away every year due to being strength because
of alcohol poisoning, because the brain's not fully developed to
the mid twenties and therefore they're not processing it their
accurate ways. So I couldn't really give you a specific
amount of what this alleged person have impaired person had
taken in but any amounts too much.
Speaker 5 (15:16):
That's what I can tell you.
Speaker 1 (15:17):
Generally speaking, the guidelines and anybody can find these online.
It doesn't take a legal scholar to find it. General guidelines.
Within about a span of an hour, it would take
about four drinks four drinks for a man or woman
to reach the legal drinking limit. That means, under the law,
(15:42):
which is insane, you can have four drinks.
Speaker 3 (15:48):
For a man, three drinks for a woman.
Speaker 1 (15:50):
This is a man, so four drinks and still be
under the legal limit of point zero eight.
Speaker 3 (15:56):
Okay.
Speaker 1 (15:56):
Now we know this guy, the undocumented ailien, was seven
times over the point zero.
Speaker 3 (16:05):
Two for his age. Okay.
Speaker 1 (16:09):
Other general guidelines, it takes five drinks, depending on metabolism,
your weight, your gender, five drinks.
Speaker 3 (16:20):
To get to legal limit.
Speaker 1 (16:22):
This guy's point two time seven, which makes him point
one four.
Speaker 3 (16:28):
So this is.
Speaker 1 (16:29):
About ten alcoholic drinks. Ten alcoholic drinks.
Speaker 3 (16:39):
Okay.
Speaker 1 (16:40):
That said to Eric Fattus, veteran trial lawyer or TV
legal analyst founding partner Varner and Fattest Elite legal jump in, Eric,
I want to hear your defense to this.
Speaker 12 (16:55):
Oh dear, this is a really tough one anyway you
look at it.
Speaker 3 (16:59):
It is completely devastating. I hope you're not going to
say that.
Speaker 1 (17:02):
To the walk to the jury when you're defending some
guy like this. Oh dear, oh my lions and tigers
and bears. Uh no, you better say something to get.
Speaker 3 (17:13):
Your client off the hook. And I don't know how
the hey you're gonna do that. Did you hear what
I just said about.
Speaker 1 (17:19):
How many drinks this guy had to have to be
seven times the legal limit for his age.
Speaker 3 (17:26):
That's point one.
Speaker 12 (17:27):
Four, absolutely, but you know there are some mitigating circumstances.
Not that it excuses anything. He was eighteen, As the
mad executive director said, his brain was not fully developed.
That doesn't excuse the decisions he made, but it puts
it into context and puts it into perspective.
Speaker 3 (17:44):
Are you serious? My head's blowing off? Did you what
did you just say? Did you say his brain wasn't
fully formed? You know where you can stick that right?
His brain is not fully armed. Oh.
Speaker 1 (18:01):
I can't wait for that to be argued in front
of the jury.
Speaker 12 (18:05):
And typically that kind of thing would be argued in
front of a judge at sentencing, to just give perspective
in context, in terms of culpability, in terms of moral blameworthiness.
Oftentimes judges will look at a person's age, their development,
but also past criminal history. I'm not aware of any
criminal history for this gentleman.
Speaker 1 (18:22):
We don't know because he's not from here. We don't
have his record. How do I know what his record
was from another country? He's from Hoan, Duras. How do
I know what he did there? He could have done anything,
I hear you.
Speaker 12 (18:36):
And it's a problem when it comes to enforcing the
laws and sort of the influx of migrants recently, because
we can't exactly tell what is in their background and
whether there are any there is any prior criminality, any
prior substance issues. Certainly the defense attorney will look into that.
Speaker 3 (18:51):
They may hire a mitigation.
Speaker 12 (18:52):
Specialist, conduct a full sort of psychological evaluation and present
that to try and lessen the sentence for for this general.
Speaker 1 (19:00):
A psychological evaluation to tell me, while these two teams.
Speaker 3 (19:05):
Are dead, why they are dead?
Speaker 1 (19:08):
Can you imagine what they experience in the middle of
the night, probably trying to come home from fishing, and
they see in the dark this guy drunk coming at
them in.
Speaker 3 (19:22):
The wrong lane. It's one am.
Speaker 1 (19:25):
He tries ryland tries to maneuver away, and then this
guy maneuvers at the same time too late, and they crash.
And just to chop it all off, he doesn't have
a license, he is not wearing a seat belt, and
he lives.
Speaker 3 (19:43):
Where is the justice in that? There is an absence
of justice.
Speaker 12 (19:48):
And it's bizarred that sometimes we see in these drunk
driving cases where the driver, the drunk driver lives. I've
heard speculation that it's because they don't brace for the
impact and somehow that they turn out better off than
the individuals who were doing nothing wrong and turn out
to be victims in a horrible tragedy like this.
Speaker 1 (20:05):
You know what, Eric Fattus, I got to hand it
to you, I really do. I don't agree with anything
that you're saying. Is just like Satan himself spat it
out on the air, but.
Speaker 3 (20:16):
You never give up. I knock you down one theory
after the next.
Speaker 1 (20:20):
His brain's not formed, really, then, how did he know
how to order drinks? How did he know to get
to his car crank it up? How did he get here?
His brain is formed? He managed to make his way here,
all the way from the Honduras.
Speaker 3 (20:35):
Okay, so his brain is formed.
Speaker 1 (20:38):
Then you're telling me he needs a psychological evaluation.
Speaker 3 (20:41):
I mean, I do have to hand it to you.
Speaker 1 (20:43):
You do never give up and no matter what I
throw at you, And I guess that's kind of lawyer
this guy will need. I'm trying to understand something about
what happened to these two teams. No license, not wearing
seat belt. Doctor Jen Gorniac is joining me, renowned medical
(21:05):
examiner formerly with Clark County Office of the Coroner. Never
like a business in Vegas, Doctor Gorniac at World Peace
Forendsic Consulting. What does that mean? Because it can't be
just anecdotal. And when I say anecdotal, I mean anecdotes stories.
It can't be just stories because I hear it over
(21:26):
and over and over and over that the perp who
is completely drunk, stinking drunk had to have what did
I say, Jackie eight or ten drinks before he got
behind the wheel, hard liquor drinks. How is it that
I keep hearing the drunk person without a seat belt
(21:48):
lives and the two teams who are not drinking and
are in a seat belt they die.
Speaker 7 (21:55):
It is I don't think anybody has that answer. And
you're absolutely right, You always here of the impaired driver
walking away and leaving victims behind. I'm not sure we
can always speculate on the fact that as the victims,
as we're driving and we see it, we try and
(22:16):
we have the wherewithal to try to avoid any collision,
and the impaired driver just reacts, you know what I mean,
and unfortunately doesn't react properly.
Speaker 3 (22:29):
Doctor gorneyact.
Speaker 1 (22:30):
There's got to be something to it that the drunk
driver is not bracing for impact, because I hear lawyers,
medical examiners say it over and over that they're so
drunk they kind of go with the collision. I don't
understand how that works, but I've heard that explanation. We
(22:53):
just heard it from Status. He's not the first one
to say it, and maybe there's some truth to it.
Speaker 7 (22:58):
I also think, well, especially at that level of a
point one four, your judgment and your perception are going
to be affected. So you know, Riley was trying to
Rylan was trying to move out of the way, right,
judgment perception intact, compared to someone who's impaired or you know, intoxicated,
(23:19):
legally drunk. His response was to go back into the
same lane and even though that car is still coming
instead of going the opposite way. And I think it's
because of the effect of the alcohol. You know, your
perception and judgment is also impaired.
Speaker 2 (23:39):
The two teens riding in the backseat of the car
suffered major injuries but are in stable condition, while te
Leah died at the scene and Ryland shortly after at
the hospital.
Speaker 1 (23:52):
And then Mom has woken up in the middle of
the night with a shrimper to tell her hur tane
girl with her life in front of her is dead
thanks to a drunk driver. A drunk undocumented alien driver,
an illegal immigrant from the hung durists seven times over
(24:13):
the legal limit, no license, no seatbelt, nothing, just a
car full a drunk driving Back to Devin Dean joining
me in joining us from Homer, Louisiana. This is Talia
Cruchet's mother, Devin. When you hear all of these arguments,
(24:33):
his brain, the defendant's brain, had informed he needs psychological.
Speaker 3 (24:38):
Blah blah blah. All I keep thinking about is hearing you.
Speaker 1 (24:44):
It sounded like your heart was actually breaking when you
said it's really over.
Speaker 3 (24:50):
They're gone.
Speaker 5 (24:51):
Yeah, it still is.
Speaker 6 (24:53):
Honestly, Nancy, I say so busy making sure all the
kids are taken care of. We've passed some of his
friends that have spent time with us in the last week,
other ones and their parents reaching out to us constantly.
I don't I've just I've just stayed so busy. I
don't even know if I'm fully accepting or going through
the grief. Ya to be honest with you, because I'm
(25:13):
so concerned about all the kids. Rylan's sister here, Madison,
his family in Texas, my thirteen year old, and like
I said, my twenty four year old is she's pregnant,
So I mean this is extremely stress was.
Speaker 5 (25:26):
Time for her.
Speaker 6 (25:28):
Honestly, I've just been holding it together and making sure
they're all taken care of right now.
Speaker 5 (25:31):
I think it's what's keeping me going.
Speaker 6 (25:34):
But I'm so broken every time I think that my
baby girl is just really not here and not coming home. Honestly,
it's just it's something no one can ever understand. And
people say this, but until you experience it.
Speaker 5 (25:44):
You will never understand.
Speaker 6 (25:46):
Tealiah was such a sweet person and she always like
she was the one I said.
Speaker 5 (25:50):
I always joke and say she.
Speaker 6 (25:51):
Kept us on our toes because she did so and
one of the day that she passed. The first thing
I said was, what are we gonna do? Like I
told my boyfriend, what are we gonna do now? We
don't have her? We all just you know, we're always
so involved with her, with everything, and now she's just gone.
Speaker 1 (26:06):
Joining us an all star panel to make sense of
what we are hearing to Sunny Wall joining us executive
director of Mad Mothers Against Drunk Driving Louisiana.
Speaker 3 (26:17):
How do you deal with.
Speaker 1 (26:19):
Moms dads that have to endure the loss of their
children to a drunk driver, in this case, seven times
over the legal limit.
Speaker 11 (26:29):
It's absolutely one of the most horrific things that anyone
can experience in their lives. We are a victim's first
organization and we have victim advocates that reach out after
a certain amount of time to offer services at no
cost to them to make sure that our justice system
(26:50):
does its job, and you know, explain to them how
no one is given a book, Nancy, on what to
do when this happens. We're not handed. This is a
club no one wants to join, and with good reason.
It's absolutely heart wrenching and we are devastated for all
that's happened, and we are here for the victims. First, victims,
(27:12):
family First. It's just heart wrenching. There is no sense
to it, and you're right, but you said earlier, this
is not an accident. An accident is something without intent.
But when you become impaired and get behind the wheel,
you're driving a two ton weapon and that's a choice.
It's a senseless, one hundred percent preventable crime, and we
(27:34):
need to stop it.
Speaker 3 (27:35):
Listen.
Speaker 13 (27:35):
Actual Flora's Cordoza is immediately arrested on several traffic charges
and DWI. During this processing, Louisiana Say police determined Flora's
Cordoza is not a US citizen and came to the
country illegally from his native Honduras. As cops learned the
status of his victims that Tleah Crochet and Ryan on
Cal have passed away, Flora's Cordoza is additionally charged with
two counts of duivehicular homicide and two counts of vehicular
(27:58):
negligence injuring.
Speaker 3 (28:00):
More do we learn Listen?
Speaker 10 (28:02):
The jeep Cherokey is only occupied by driver Axel Flores Cordoza,
who's found completely unharmed despite not wearing a seat belt.
Flores Cordoza eighteen, is unlicensed, has open alcohol in his
cup holder, and is clearly drunk. The team voluntarily submits
to a breath test. The results in a BAC just
under point one four, equivalent to seven times the point
(28:23):
zero two legal limit for drivers under twenty one and
nearly twice the limit for drivers of legal drinking age.
Speaker 1 (28:29):
To Eric Fattis, you have handled so many dui Vehicular
homicides is what they're called. I really don't think that
they should be distinguished from malice murder. Vehicular homicides are
equivalent to a manslaughter, where you don't have the requisite requisite.
Speaker 3 (28:48):
Intent to commit a crime.
Speaker 1 (28:52):
I disagree, because every time you take a drink, in
this case seven to eight alcoholic drinks, hard alcohol, every drink,
every swallow, was a decision, and it's a decision to
drive after drinking. To me, you know, of course, the
law is very clear. Intent to commit a crime can
(29:14):
be either express or not implicit. Explicit or implicit explicit.
That's when I say, Eric.
Speaker 3 (29:24):
Fattis, I've had it and I shoot you in the head.
Speaker 1 (29:27):
I'm killing you, man. That's explicitly stated. Implicit means the
law determines you intended the act based on your actions
what you did, and that is the case here. There
is explicit evidence he meant to drink and drive with
(29:49):
the consequence death.
Speaker 12 (29:51):
I hear you, and it's a fair point. I think
what the law it makes a distinguished a distinction on
is you know, the intent to really take a life
is different than than just being reckless and knowingly disregarding
a substantial risk that ends in tragedy. Unfortunately, they both
have the same outcome. And a lot of people think
that that point matters substantially, and I understand that. But
(30:13):
when we're looking at the choices the perpetrator made, the
law would say that the choice to try and intentionally
take someone's life is different than being reckless than taking
a risk.
Speaker 3 (30:25):
And we're talking about an.
Speaker 12 (30:26):
Eighteen year old here, clearly a horrible decision, but I'm
not sure in his mind did he ever intend to
kill somebody. And I'm not sure that that intent would
be implicit in just making bad decisions.
Speaker 3 (30:36):
I didn't mean to kill anybody.
Speaker 1 (30:38):
How about if I take a gun and point it
at year head and pull the trigger and they.
Speaker 3 (30:43):
Say, oops, I didn't mean to kill him. I just
meant to scare him.
Speaker 12 (30:47):
You know, there's certainly a weapon involved, like the mad
director said, but it's just a different scenario. When a
person acts with this reckless disregard. Now that's not okay either,
But I think that our law and our legislators have
said that that choice is less culpable than someone who
really wants to steal another person's life. I just don't
(31:09):
have any evidence that this driver have that such intent,
although he did, of course act recklessly.
Speaker 3 (31:15):
It has been.
Speaker 2 (31:22):
It's really just over, like they're gone. A grieving mother
speaks out about the devastating loss of her daughter and
her daughter's boyfriend.
Speaker 1 (31:33):
Te Lea and Ryan, both gone after an undocumented individual,
also known as an illegal immigrant from Honduras comes to
our country, gets seven times over the legal drink limit.
Speaker 3 (31:50):
Drives on the wrong side.
Speaker 1 (31:51):
Of the road in the dark, and mows into these
two beautiful teens now angels.
Speaker 3 (32:00):
How did the whole thing start?
Speaker 13 (32:02):
Listen to Leah crochet Is head over heels for Ryland
on Cow, the Louisiana eighteen year olds to meet just
after graduating from neighboring hl Bourgeois and Central Laforcee High schools,
they quickly become inseparable, to Lea even going with Ryland
to Heartland, Texas to spend several weeks with his family.
To Leah can't wait for Ryland to return to Raceland
after starting a new job with Gulf Logistics working as
(32:23):
a deckhand.
Speaker 1 (32:24):
These two had just graduated from high school, all one
at the HL Bourgeois and one at Central Lafourche, and
they immediately fall in popul love.
Speaker 9 (32:39):
Listen Ryland on Cow meets girlfriend to Leah Crochet and
two friends in Port Fortune, just after finishing his first
twenty eight day shift as a deckhand on an oil rig.
The teens enjoy a much needed night out together on
dry Land, then poland Ryland's Kia Rio to head back
to Raceland, taking Highway thirty ninety Inland from the Cost
(33:00):
on their.
Speaker 3 (33:00):
Way home from fishing together that night.
Speaker 10 (33:04):
This happens as Rylan drives through the one am darkness,
he spots a set of headlights coming towards him. As
the car gets closer, Rylan realizes the oncoming jeep is
driving in his lane. Rylan swerves into the left lane
to avoid the wrong way driver, but the jeep also
corrects back into the left lane and slams into the
teens head on, the front end.
Speaker 1 (33:25):
Of the Kia is totally destroyed. Can you imagine what
happened to the driver and the passenger up front?
Speaker 9 (33:34):
Listen, the front end of Ryland's Kia Rio is completely
carved in. First responders arrive within minutes, pulling the occupants
from the wreckage, but to Lea is already gone. Ryland
is rushed to a hospital, where he also dies of
his injuries. The couple's two friends riding in the backseat
also have serious injuries, but are stabilized at the hospital.
Speaker 1 (33:55):
Right now, Medical examiner doctor Jane gorniack joining us. I
know you've handled a lot of the hicky or homicide cases.
Looking at the front of that car, that Kia Rio
is totally destroyed.
Speaker 3 (34:12):
What do you make of the cause of death?
Speaker 1 (34:15):
Could they have survived even for moments after impact?
Speaker 3 (34:20):
What would they have endured?
Speaker 7 (34:22):
Doctor Gorniac, Especially on that passenger side, you can see
the intrusion into the car. I would believe there are
I would say multiple blood force injuries, crush injuries, even
sometimes the seat belt. I don't know if you've ever
been in a car crash, and the seat belt tightens up.
That can cause some neck injuries. So I can assume
(34:45):
that you know she had neck injuries, chest injuries, crushing injuries,
especially too when you have al bags deploying, so then
you get pushed from both sides. Ryland probably the same thing.
Most likely you have the steering wheel that can cause
chest injuries, head injuries. You see, I'm not sure that
(35:07):
glass was probably a combination of the collision and the
firefighters using the quote unquote jaws of life to extricate them.
But it's a lot of compression, I would say compression,
so lung injuries, rib injuries, head injuries, neck injuries, so
just I mean a massive amount of injuries, especially being
(35:33):
pronounced dead at the scene.
Speaker 2 (35:35):
The Onseene breath test revealed the driver's blood alcohol level
was seven times the legal limit for an underage driver.
Speaker 1 (35:46):
Joining me is Talia's mother, Devin Dane joining us from Louisiana.
I just don't know how you had the strength to
go through the funeral.
Speaker 3 (35:58):
How did you get through that?
Speaker 6 (36:00):
Honestly, Nancy, the days leading up to the funeral, we
were so busy making sure that Rylan and Talia had
the most beautiful service and had the best of everything
that we could give them, and from there it's really
just been making sure all the other kids are okay.
Speaker 5 (36:16):
I have my moments.
Speaker 6 (36:17):
I break down a little bit here and there, but
for the most part, we're all staying very close knit,
and my daughters have been coming.
Speaker 5 (36:23):
Over every day. Madison's been coming over every day. That's
Ryland's sister. We've all just been a unit and kind
of keeping each other's spirits up.
Speaker 6 (36:31):
And right now it's working, but I know at some
point that that's not going to be able to continue,
and honestly, that's probably what I'm more scared of than anything.
Speaker 1 (36:38):
What bits and pieces do you recall of the funeral.
Speaker 5 (36:42):
Over I remember the entire thing. I was very alert
and aware.
Speaker 6 (36:47):
Every time I would blink, someone else was grabbing me
and hugging me, and it felt like a million people.
Speaker 5 (36:53):
To be honest, it felt like I was there for
ten hours versus four.
Speaker 6 (36:58):
It was just crazy, the amount of the outpouring of
love that we had at that funeral and that service.
But girls, seeing all those children break down, kids their
age that should never have to see a friend of
theirs in a casket was absolutely the worst that was
the worst thing.
Speaker 5 (37:15):
I was like me as a mom, my heart, my
mom heart is broken.
Speaker 1 (37:18):
Devin, you sited that there were youngsters there that actually
saw to Leah in her casket. It was an open
casket funeral.
Speaker 6 (37:29):
We were blessed enough that she did have extensive injuries
to the right side of her face where the car hit,
but the left side she was perfectly beautiful, so we
were able to fix her hair to where.
Speaker 5 (37:41):
It covered half of her face and the other half.
Speaker 4 (37:44):
Of her face was beautiful and looked just like her,
and Ry will look perfect.
Speaker 1 (37:50):
I just don't know how you're putting one foot in
front of the other. What is your message to other parents?
Speaker 6 (38:00):
First and foremost, my biggest thing was I was always
so careful with my kids.
Speaker 5 (38:04):
I always told them, you know, this is what.
Speaker 3 (38:06):
You need to do.
Speaker 5 (38:06):
You need to be careful, watch this. It doesn't matter.
Speaker 6 (38:09):
It genuinely doesn't matter, because no matter how careful they are,
when something like this happens, my.
Speaker 5 (38:15):
Kids are gone and they did nothing wrong. They were
having a good afternoon out fishing. Don't drink and drive.
Teach your children, stop others from drinking and driving. Do
not get behind the wheel if you're intoxicated because this
is not worth it.
Speaker 6 (38:28):
It's just not like there's nothing that they can measure
up to what this family is going through. And not
even just a family. This is rocked our Try Parish area.
Like the outpouring, like I said, of love is just unbelievable.
People crying daily, reaching out to me like it's so sad.
Speaker 3 (38:47):
Guys.
Speaker 1 (38:48):
The toll free tip number for Mad Mothers Against drunk
Driving eight seven seven Mad Help eight seven seven six ' two.
Speaker 3 (38:59):
Three three four three five.
Speaker 1 (39:03):
If we can even stop one dunk driving fatality, it's
all worth it. And our prayers go out to Devon
and the family of Ryland.
Speaker 3 (39:19):
Nancy Gray signing off goodbye friend,
Host
Nancy Grace
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