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Teen to be sentenced Tuesday in double fatal crash

Posted at 10:58 AM, Jan 09, 2018
and last updated 2018-01-09 10:58:56-05

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – A teen will be sentenced later Tuesday for his role in a double fatal crash in Kentwood last spring.

Alex Torrez was convicted of two counts of 2nd degree murder last month.  He was the driver in a high speed chase that led police at speeds of up to 110mph before crashing into another vehicle at 52nd Street and Broadmoor SE.

Tara Oskam – from Calvin College

Tara Oskam, a Calvin College student, was killed in the crash.  David Torrez, Alex’s cousin who was a passenger in his vehicle, was also killed.

Torrez had prior run-ins with the law for thefts and carrying concealed weapons like brass knuckles and knives. Testimony during the trial showed that Torrez had alcohol and marijuana in his system at the time of the crash.

“No matter what the jury decided, it’s not going to bring Tara back or David,” said Tara’s father Rob Oskam when Torrez was convicted in December. “We’re all just asking for him [Torrez] to be held accountable for his actions that night. He made many wrong decisions, he had multiples times to stop and pull over, and he didn’t. Again, I said, both families lives are ruined here for all of us.”

The sentencing is expected at about 2:00 p.m. at 17th District Court in Grand Rapids.  We’ll have the sentence online when it is determined.