FORT PIERCE, Fla. — Authorities say they’ve charged a Florida man for a drunken driving crash that left a 9-year-old passenger dead on Christmas Day.
News outlets report that 29-year-old Julio Ruiz was charged Monday with vehicular homicide, DUI manslaughter and six other counts.
Fort Pierce police say Ruiz was drunk and driving more than double the 30-mph speed limit in the early morning hours of Christmas Day when he ran a stop sign and hit a parked truck. Issac Santillan died at the scene, and a 6-year-old girl was airlifted to a West Palm Beach hospital. Ruiz and his girlfriend also suffered serious injuries.
A firefighter said nobody was wearing a seat belt.
Ruiz has been in the St. Lucie County Jail on unrelated charges since Jan. 5. Jail records don’t list an attorney.



