A 36-year-old Santa Fe man appeared extremely drunk Sunday night after he crashed head-on into a motorcycle south of Taos, killing the driver and a passenger, police said.

Cesar Ramirez-Olivas — who was arrested by Santa Fe police for drunken driving in 2001 — reeked of alcohol after the crash, could barely walk and slurred his speech so badly it was more like mumbling, said Lt. Eric Garcia, state police spokesman. Police found an empty fifth of Jose Cuervo tequila in his 1997 Dodge Caravan, Garcia said.

"This guy was so out of it he was obviously highly intoxicated," Garcia said.

David T. Romero, 48, of Ranchos de Taos was driving the 2006 Suzuki motorcycle and was pronounced dead at the scene. Ramona Miera, 41, of Farmington died after being airlifted to Christus St. Vincent Regional Medical Center in Santa Fe.

Ramirez-Olivas was traveling south on N.M. 68 at the Horseshoe section of the road about 7:50 p.m. and nearly struck two northbound vehicles, which swerved out of his way, driving in front of the motorcycle, Garcia said. Ramirez-Olivas then hit the motorcycle head-on.

"It's a sad situation," Garcia said. "These two people were out for a ride just to enjoy the day."

Ramirez-Olivas refused to take a breath test. State police later got a search warrant to draw a blood sample, though the results won't be known for about a week, Garcia said.

Ramirez-Olivas was charged with two counts of vehicular homicide, crossing the center line, having an open container of alcohol in his car, driving with a suspended license, no seat belt, no insurance and resisting arrest. He was booked into the Taos County jail.

Ramirez-Olivas was arrested by Santa Fe police on Dec. 15, 2001, after an officer spotted him driving on the College of Santa Fe campus, said Santa Fe Deputy Police Chief Benjie Montaño. Ramirez-Olivas smelled of alcohol at the time, failed sobriety tests and was "obviously intoxicated," Montaño said.

However, he refused both a breath-alcohol test and a blood test, he said. He was charged with aggravated driving while intoxicated.

He was arrested by Santa Fe police on Aug. 13, 2008, for being a public nuisance, according to online Santa Fe County jail records.

Contact Jason Auslander at 986-3076 or :jauslander@sfnewmexican.com.