Family outraged by judge’s handling of DUI crash that claimed their child’s life.
Family Disgusted with Judge’s Treatment of Man Who Allegedly Killed Their Kid in DUI Crash
Police say Duprie Smith killed an 11-year-old boy in Portland, Oregon, while driving drunk at more than 40 miles over the speed limit, but that didn’t stop the judge from serving up “justice” Portland-style.
According to
In addition to that, he also faces charges of driving under the influence of intoxicants and reckless driving, according to KGW-TV.
Smith, through his attorney, didn’t exactly do himself any favors by providing his version of events that led up to the crash on July 8.
The 29-year-old said he’d suffered three gunshot wounds when someone started shooting into the crowd at a funeral for his brother.
Smith was struck in typically non-fatal areas — the arm and the leg. When he decided an ambulance wasn’t arriving on the scene fast enough, he got in his SUV and started speeding to the hospital, with his attorney saying he believed he was “bleeding out.”
Also unwisely for him, Smith had the
“Defendant can be seen entering his vehicle, and driving erratically, making statements such as ‘where is the hospital’ and ‘I am going to die,’” the affidavit read.
Just before he hit the sedan the boy was traveling in about 10:15 p.m., data from the recorder showed that he was traveling at 86 miles per hour.
He slammed on his brakes one second before impact, but that only slowed him to 72 miles per hour — in a 30-mph zone.
EXCLUSIVE BREAKING: Ryan Ambrose, an 11-year-old #Portland boy, died on July 8 after being in a car allegedly hit at high speed by 29-year-old black male Duprie DJ Smith. Sources tell me Smith was trying to drive to the hospital following being shot during a gang-related event.… pic.twitter.com/gxz4aafo8K
— Andy Ngô (@MrAndyNgo) July 11, 2023
“Notably, Defendant was traveling at such a high rate of speed that after the impact at SE Stark, his vehicle flipped over and still traveled an entire city block, coming to rest at SE Washington,” the affidavit read.
While a witness tried to perform CPR on Ryan, he was pronounced dead at the hospital.
Smith, although thrown from his vehicle, was “seemingly fine” aside from the gunshot wounds. He was released from the hospital the next day — but not before failing a
The affidavit said both Smith’s level of intoxication and speed were causes of the wreck.
So, when the Multnomah County District Attorney’s office — not exactly known as a hive of Joe Friday-esque hard-on-crime types — requested $100,000 bail for Smith, you would think a judge would be amenable.
Instead, according to KPTV, “the judge declined bail and instead released Smith on enhanced DUII conditions, meaning he cannot possess or consume alcohol, he is not allowed to use any drugs not prescribed by a doctor, he cannot drive or possess a vehicle, and he cannot enter any bars, taverns, or other businesses that primarily serve alcohol.”
This is to be monitored via a blood alcohol ankle monitor; he also must participate in drug and alcohol treatment.
Two days after Monday’s arraignment, Ryan’s family and supporters gathered at the crash site to demand action.
A memorial is growing at SE 102nd/Stark in Portland for 11y/o Ryan Ambrose, killed in a crash Saturday night. Police say the suspect Duprie Smith was shot and driving to the hospital when he crashed, later arrested for DUII. This week a judge released him without bail
— Jami Seymore (@JamiSeymore) July 14, 2023
“The whole family is here today,” Mario Trejo, the boy’s grandfather, told KPTV. “To try to make justice for my little kid, for my grandson.”
Ryan was visiting family in Portland and was just hours from catching a flight back to Arizona, where he lived.
“He was killed by a drunk driver and now this guy is in his house watching TV and my grandson is in a case in the funeral home right now,” Trejo said.
“We think this is not fair,” he said. “What are they trying to do? Wait until he kills someone else and then arrest him? He was drunk driving 90 miles an hour. Ran every single red light. This is not fair. Where is the justice? We need it. The whole family needs it.”
