Driver Ruthy Trenche Chávez convicted for fatal DUI crash in Loíza, Puerto Rico

Ruthy Trenche Chávez was found guilty of causing the deaths of two horse riders after she drove a Toyota Tundra while intoxicated on Puerto Rico's PR‑188 highway in Loíza on 23 March 2024. A breath test showed a blood‑alcohol level of 0.15 percent. The victims, José J. Díaz Serrano and Eduardo E. Álvarez Sosa, were wearing reflective vests; Díaz Serrano died at the scene and Álvarez Sosa succumbed to injuries days later.

Judge Edgar Figueroa Vázquez of the Carolina First Instance Court convicted Chávez of violating Puerto Rico’s vehicle and traffic laws and of negligent, reckless driving while under the influence. She was acquitted of a charge that would have held her liable for a death caused by intoxication and of two animal‑cruelty counts related to the horses. The Department of Justice and Secretary of Justice Lourdes L. Gómez Torres emphasized the preventable nature of the tragedy.