CANYON COUNTY, Idaho — The driver of a vehicle that landed on the rooftop of a Nampa home during a crash in 2024, killing a passenger and injuring another, was sentenced Tuesday in a Canyon County court to up to 12 years in prison.
According to the Canyon County Prosecuting Attorney's Office, Angel Eduardo Rico, who was 18 years old at the time of the incident, will be eligible for parole after three years following his conviction of vehicular manslaughter in the crash that killed 31-year-old Jose Teran Chaparro.
The crash occurred Dec. 1 near East Amity Avenue and Diamond Street after prosecutors said Rico failed to negotiate a curve, hit a berm in a private yard and became airborne. The car struck a chimney of one home before landing on the roof of another.
Teran Chaparro was a front-seat passenger in the vehicle and a friend of Rico's. Both homes suffered "extensive damage," but no one inside either home was hurt.
According to the prosecutor's office, data recovered from the vehicle's "black box" showed Rico was traveling at a high rate of speed leading up to the crash. Prosecutors said he had been out drinking and using drugs the previous night.
Deputy prosecutor Scott Vermeer requested a 15-year prison sentence with parole eligibility after seven years.
"A man is dead," he said. "The seriousness of this situation cannot be overstated."
The prosecutor's office said Rico's attorney asked the court to consider Rico's young age and requested a period of retained jurisdiction followed by probation.
"One of his best friends is dead," attorney Alex Briggs said.
The prosecutor's office said Third Judicial District Judge Randall Grove disagreed that retained jurisdiction and probation were appropriate.
"You killed your friend," Grove said. "You have to live with that each and every day for the rest of your life."
Canyon County Prosecuting Attorney Chris Boyd called the crash a "senseless tragedy."
"No sentence can undo that loss, but [Tuesday's] outcome reflects that reckless choices carry real accountability," he said.
