Driver accused of killing Highlands Ranch boy pleads guilty to one count

HIGHLANDS RANCH, Colorado. — The driver is accused of fatally stabbed Highlands Ranch seventh grader who was driving to school, pleaded guilty Monday to careless driving causing death.

Alexander “Alex” Matskevich, 13, rode a OneWheel (an electric skateboard with one wheel). shortly before 7 a.m. on March 6 when a driver struck and killed him as he crossed the intersection of Venneford Ranch Road and Highlands Ranch Parkway.

According to the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office (DCSO), the driver remained at the scene after the crash.

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The sheriff’s office said the driver, identified as 53-year-old Ruben Morones, was traveling eastbound in the far right lane on Highlands Ranch Parkway when he approached the intersection. The signal was red for eastbound traffic at the time, according to DCSO.

Alex was driving south in the crosswalk on Venneford Ranch Road, crossing over Highlands Ranch Boulevard. The sheriff’s office said the walk signal was activated while the teen was crossing the road.

According to DCSO, Morones ran a red light and struck Alex on the opposite side of the intersection. The vehicle came to a “controlled stop” after impacting just east of the intersection. Alex was thrown from the Onewheel and pinned against the curb east of the intersection, the sheriff’s office said.

Investigators do not believe speeding was a factor, according to DCSO.

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Morones was arrested for careless driving causing death, careless driving causing grievous bodily harm to a vulnerable road user and failure to obey a traffic control signal. He pleaded guilty Monday to careless driving causing death. Two other charges — careless driving causing bodily injury and failure to obey traffic control signals — were dropped by the county attorney’s office, court records show.

Morones is scheduled to be sentenced on January 7, 2025.

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