DENISON, Iowa (AP) — A homicide count has been added to the charges against a man accused of crashing his car into a river, resulting in the death of a teenager in western Iowa.
The charge of vehicular homicide-operating under the influence was filed Thursday against Ramon Hernandez. He’s already charged with three counts of distributing a controlled substance to a minor, one of distributing a controlled substance to an adult and four counts of providing alcohol to underage people.
Authorities say Hernandez drove through a farm field with four teenagers in his car before it plunged into the Boyer River on Jan. 19. He and three of the others reached safety. The body of 15-year-old Yoana Acosta was found Jan. 26.
