4 killed in crash at homeless encampment in Salem remembered as funny, kind, loving

A makeshift memorial with flowers rests where an alleged drunk driver ran off the road and crashed into an encampment in Salem early Sunday, killing four people and seriously injuring two others.

The victims killed were Jowand Beck, 24, Luke Kagey, 21, Joe Posada III, 54, and Rochelle Zamacona, 29.

Two other people were injured and remain hospitalized: Derrick Hart, age 43; and Savannah Miller, age 18.

The man behind the wheel, Enrique Rodriguez Jr., 24, is facing manslaughter, reckless driving and DUI charges.

Those slain in the crash are remembered as parents, beloved family members and friends.

Luke Kagey

The mother of Luke Kagey's newborn daughter, Kristina McGill, described Kagey as a funny and energetic young man. He had turned 21 just days before the crash. His daughter was born March 5.

McGill met Kagey when they were assigned to carpool together in middle school at Horizon Christian in Tualatin where he was on the track and field team and in the robotics club. They began dating in March of 2021 but were no longer together when he was killed.

"He had a big heart," she said. "He was funny and energetic, always ready for an adventure."

She learned that he had died when Kagey's mom called her Sunday morning.

"We were just beginning the process of setting something up for them (Luke and his daughter) to hang out and to figure out custody agreements," she said.

She said she has every intention for Kagey's family to stay in their daughter's life.

Those who knew Kagey at the encampment remember him as an at times immature and odd young "kid" who was excited to become a new father and deeply cared about others.

McGill also said Kagey was excited to become a dad.

"Him finding out we were pregnant was just so amazing," she said. "He was so excited and started doing all kinds of research. He wanted to know all he could before she got here."

Kagey had been working as a tire mechanic at Discount Tires since September, according to his Facebook page. On social media, Kagey shared sporadic updates about his life and struggles and photos of his favorite musician, Juice Wrld. Kagey idolized the artist, said Noland Baliey.

Baliey considered Kagey his "brother." The two met at the Union Gospel Mission shelter downtown. Losing Kagey was like losing his brother all over again, he said.

"He was a crazy little kid but he was great too," he said.

Rochelle Zamacona

When Eddie Zamacona picked up dirt bike riding, his 4-year-old daughter, Rochelle, wanted to be by his side.

“So naturally, I bought her a (Yamaha PW50) and she was right there with me going dirt bike riding,” he said. “She was a little feisty one; she was one of those girls that didn’t take crap from other kids.”

Rochelle Zamacona was born in Oceanside, Calif. Her father’s naval career led the family to live in Hawaii for about four years before the family moved to Oregon. The Zamaconas lived in Salem and Albany before moving to Brownsville.

Eddie said Rochelle was an explorer and enjoyed being outdoors. She loved going to the beach in Hawaii, and in Oregon, she and her friends rode around on her Arctic Cat 90 and played with dolls in the forest and by a river near their home. She took karate and rode horses for a time, too.

Rochelle attended and graduated from Sweet Home High School where she played soccer and ran track.

Eddie said things changed when he and Rochelle’s mother divorced during her final years at Sweet Home High. Rochelle left home at about age 18. She began using drugs, struggling with her mental health and hanging out with the wrong crowd, her father said.

Eddie said he and his wife, April, tried getting Rochelle help and suggested she attend AA meetings. Eddie would send Rochelle money when she was hungry.

And for a short time, Rochelle seemed to be getting better when she landed a job as a waitress in Anchorage and did part-time modeling. But her depression, coupled with drug use, was a constant battle, he said.

“That’s why she was at that homeless camp, you know, it’s not because she didn’t have a home to go to,” he said. “She just preferred to be there."

Eddie said his daughter was selfless. He recalled a day when he and Rochelle were driving after leaving a restaurant. She abruptly asked her father to pull over to give her leftovers to a homeless man she spotted on a street corner.

“I go, ‘What did you do that for?’ And she goes, ‘He looked like he needed it more than me,’” Eddie said. “She did that a lot.

"She was my little girl and I loved her. She didn’t deserve to die like that. She never hurt anybody.”

In the wake of the crash, friends and family took to social media to share their grief and memories.

"My family has been completely shattered by this event," Rochelle's cousin Myriam Macleod-Allard wrote in a Facebook post. "I am so sad that this is the end to this child's troubled life."

Read more: Driver in deadly Salem homeless camp crash was drunk, driving 70 mph, prosecutors say

Rochelle had posted on her own social media account about her love for animals, her job as a waitress and her quest to stay sober — a post in November of last year recounted being sober for two years.

Macleod-Allard said she was grateful for the good memories.

"No one deserves to live or be treated this way," she said in her post. "Homeless people have families, friends. They have long stories with sad events that shape why they are where they are. This shouldn't have been the end for a 29-year-old woman."

Jowand Beck

When police released the identity of those killed Sunday, they said they were able to notify every victim's family members except for the family of Jowand Beck.

"Investigators have made every possible attempt to find Mr. Beck’s family but have not succeeded in locating anyone," a Salem police spokesman said.

They asked for the public's help with contacting his next of kin. Three hours later, police said thanks to help from community members, they were able to contact Beck's family.

Little is known publically about the 24-year-old. According to state records, he was listed as being homeless in Salem since at least 2020.

Joe Posada III

Joe Posada didn't appear to have any public social media accounts. Family members contacted by the Statesman Journal declined to comment.

At the memorial honoring the victims on Monday, Rebecca Morgan remembered Posada as an "elder." Not because he was elderly but because he had been homeless long enough that younger people or people new to the streets knew they could turn to Posada for help or advice.

A man who identified himself as"Animal" considered Posada his neighbor at the encampment. Posada was a nice guy, he said.

"He seemed to really care about the people around him," he added.

Posada loved to play music at night, he said, and would play anything that came over the radio whenever he could.

He also loved overalls, he remembered with a laugh.

This article originally appeared on Salem Statesman Journal: Salem homeless camp crash: Loved ones remember 4 killed as funny, kind