Witnesses: Driver ran red light at 70 mph

By KVAL News and KVAL.com Staff Published: Jan 23, 2009 at 4:48 PM PST Last Updated: Jan 20, 2010 at 3:32 PM PST
Witnesses: Driver ran red light at 70 mph »Play Video
A detail from Matthew Ellmer's MySpace page.

EUGENE, Ore. -- With his blood alcohol level more than twice the legal limit and fresh from a fight at a strip club, Matthew N. Ellmers climbed behind the wheel of his red Isuzu Rodeo and drove off, eventually heading south down Bertelsen Road towards West 11th Avenue, Eugene police now believe.


Heather Mulgrave


Connie and Jaziah Vermilyea


Nima Gibba
At the same time, Heather Mulgrave, 36, of Springfield, Ore., a dance instructor at Body and Soul Studios, was giving pupil Nima Gibba, 11, a ride home in her Toyota Highlander SUV. Mulgrave's son Jakobi and her friend Connie Vermilyea, 34, of Springfield, and Connie's son Jaziah Vermilyea, 10, were also in the SUV as they headed down West 11th Avenue towards the intersection with Bertelsen Road.

Multiple eyewitnesses told police that is where the red Isuzu, driven by a man whose personal statement on his MySpace page is "If you dont wreck you're not going fast enough!!!!" ran the red light at an estimated 70 mph and slammed into the Toyota Highlander.

The t-bone crash forced the Highlander into a utility pole.

Ellmers survived with a broken leg and possibly some broken ribs, according to police.

The five people inside the Highlander weren't as lucky.

Jakobi Mulgrave remains in critical condition in a Portland hospital.

His mother Heather, her student Nima, and Connie and Jaziah Vermilyea all were wearing their seatbelts.

All were instantly killed by the crash, investigators believe.

"I did all the death notifications, so it wasn't easy at all," said Sgt. Mike Gilbert, who supervises Eugene police's accident reconstruction team. "This is the worst one I've ever been to in over 28 years in this business."

Police outlined more of their case against Ellmers at a press conference Friday afternoon.

Investigators say he had a drink at The Nile on Highway 99 before getting in a physical dispute at the strip club. His blood alcohol content registered .21 in a preliminary blood test, more than double the legal .08.

Police charged Ellmers with:

  • Four counts of Manslaughter in the First Degree
  • One count of Assault in the Second Degree
  • Driving Under the Influence of Intoxicants
  • Reckless Driving

"I'm surprised," says Barclay Beagle. Ellmers lives in one of the apartments upstairs from him. "Really I am surprised because he's really a nice kid and everything. I hate to see him get in trouble for something like that. I also hate to see someone drinking and driving,  so if he needs to be punished then that should happen."