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Asia Boatwright

Age : 22

Gender : Female

Race : Black

Date : 04/28/2021

Location : Intersection of Glasgow Avenue and Olive Street

City : Inglewood

County : Los Angeles

State : California

Agency : California Highway Patrol

Officer(s) :Not disclosed

Cause of Death : Vehicle

Event : Bystander killed by police chase crash

OPEN RECORDS SUMMARY :

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REASON FOR CHASE: Bystander killed during red-light violation pursuit
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NARRATIVE:
On 04/28/2021 at approximately 10:35 p.m., Asia Marie Boatwright, 22, was riding with her boyfriend, Ryan Davis, 27, as they traveled through Inglewood. Boatwright was a phlebotomist pursuing a nursing career. She had attended college courses while still in high school and, unknown to her when she died, had been accepted into the nursing program at Los Angeles Valley College.
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California Highway Patrol officers attempted to stop a blue Dodge pickup after its driver, Gustavo Ruelas Jr., allegedly sped through a red light on Century Boulevard near the 405 Freeway. Ruelas entered the northbound 405, exited at Manchester Avenue and continued through Inglewood while CHP pursued. The pursuit lasted approximately one minute and reached roughly 90 mph.
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At Glasgow Avenue and Olive Street, Ruelas ran a stop sign and struck Davis and Boatwright's sedan at high speed, forcing it onto the sidewalk. The pickup then struck a parked vehicle. The sedan was so badly crushed that firefighters had to extricate Boatwright and Davis. Boatwright died at the scene; Davis was transported to a hospital and died from his injuries. Ruelas suffered minor injuries, ran from the crash and was captured after a short foot pursuit.
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Boatwright's and Davis' families immediately challenged the decision to conduct the pursuit. At a vigil two days after the crash, Davis' mother, Aziza King, and Boatwright's relatives called for an end to dangerous police chases. Boatwright's grandmother, Maria Dones, emphasized that the couple had simply been traveling home when they were killed.
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Ruelas was charged with two counts of murder and other offenses. On 04/20/2022, he pleaded no contest to murder, gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated and felony evading while driving recklessly and admitted leaving the scene. He was sentenced to 26 years to life in state prison.
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In May 2022, Boatwright's mother, Melissa Gonzalez, and Davis' mother filed a wrongful-death lawsuit against the State of California, CHP and Ruelas. The lawsuit alleged CHP negligently continued the high-speed pursuit, failed to obtain air support in time, failed to terminate the pursuit after losing radio contact, failed to adequately warn other agencies and failed to promptly summon medical assistance after the crash.
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CHP later sought dismissal of the lawsuit, disputing liability and arguing that the mothers lacked legal standing under California wrongful-death law.
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Boatwright's and Davis' families continued advocating for safer streets after their deaths. In October 2023, relatives and community members installed a ghost-tire memorial near the crash site. Their families became involved with road-safety advocacy, using Asia and Ryan's deaths to draw attention to speeding, dangerous driving and fatal police pursuits.
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OFFICER BACKGROUND:
The California Highway Patrol did not publicly identify the officers who initiated or participated in the pursuit.

SOURCE LINKS :

https://abc7.com/inglewood-police-chase-deadly-crash-two-killed-pursuit/10559356/
https://abc7.com/post/inglewood-police-chase-crash-vigil-victims-pursuit/10574627/
https://www.cbsnews.com/losangeles/news/lax-inglewood-2-innocent-people-killed-drugged-driver-chase-crash/
https://www.cbsnews.com/losangeles/news/inglewood-fatal-pursuit-crash-asia-boatwright-ryan-davis/
https://www.cbsnews.com/losangeles/news/gustavo-reulas-charged-with-murder-in-inglewood-crash-that-killed-2/
https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2021-04-29/two-killed-several-injured-after-police-pursuits-in-inglewood-and-west-hollywood
https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2022-06-01/mothers-sue-chp-over-fatal-wreck-following-pursuit
https://www.foxla.com/news/chp-police-chase-lawsuit
https://abc7.com/inglewood-community-comes-together-to-remember-couple-killed-ryan-davis-asia-boatwright/13879398/
https://www.streetsareforeveryone.org/in-memoriam/ryan-asia