Suspect in deadly Estrella hit and run has history of reckless driving

By Madeline Ackley Salazar
Mail | Twitter: @Mkayackley

A suspect in the deadly April 26 hit and run in Estrella Mountain Ranch has a history of reckless driving, police and court records show.  

Richard Carlos Romo, 44, was arrested in his Goodyear home two days after police say his white Ford pick-up truck collided with 13-year-old Dylan Buensuceso, who died from his injuries in the hospital hours later.

Documents obtained by the Independent show that in 2020, Romo was charged with leaving the scene of an accident in Tucson. 

Records obtained from the Tucson Police Department show that Romo’s pick-up truck collided with another vehicle on Sept. 22, 2020, near the intersection of Grant Road and Campbell Avenue in Tucson. 

Records indicate that Romo fled the scene of the accident. Weather conditions are described as clear and Romo was not found to be driving under the influence. 

The truck he had been driving was the same make and model as the one that allegedly struck and killed Buensuceso a year-and-a-half later.

Romo received three criminal traffic charges including leaving the scene of an accident,  driving with a suspended license and reckless driving. He also received two civil traffic charges for failure to control speed and for driving without insurance.

All charges against Romo were dismissed with the exception of reckless driving, which had a maximum sentence of six months in jail. 

He pled guilty and was ordered to 12 months of unsupervised probation, traffic survival school and a $750 fine. 

Romo is facing charges related to leaving the scene of a fatal accident. His trial date is set for Sept. 9.

Madeline Ackley Salazar can be reached at mackley@iniusa.org or found on Twitter @Mkayackley.