8/10/2024 ~ 3am Pedestrian fatality; near 4th Street and Park Avenue, Ash Fork.
The street where this occurred, Park Ave near 4th, is a two-lane one way residential (there is a twin street a couple hundred feet away, Lewis, that goes the other way). This is a typical small rural town setup for the main route thru town. It’s just off the I-40.
It will be interesting to see if the driver is charged as an adult or as a juvenile. And if a juvenile, why do we let children drive cars?
The litany of very serious charges, e.g. manslaughter are unlikely to stick as it seems unlikely the person she killed would have had the right of way; unless they can prove something like the excessive speed (which seems unlikely).
She was probably driving on a graduated driver’s license which means it’s illegal to drive between midnight and 5AM unless with a parent; but that’s an inconsequential charge in the scheme of things.
The hit-and-run w/death charge is likely to stick but, despite being a serious felony doesn’t result in much in the way of punishment.
16-year-old girl arrested after DUI hit-and-run crash that killed woman in Ash Fork
By: Ashley Loose
ASH FORK, AZ — A teenage girl was arrested on numerous charges including DUI after a deadly hit-and-run crash in Ash Fork early Saturday morning.
Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office first received reports of a woman who was hit by a car around 3 a.m. near 4th Street and Park Avenue.
Responding deputies performed life-saving procedures on the victim, but she was pronounced dead at the scene. The victim has been identified as 47-year-old Erica Miller.
Soon after, YCSO received a call from a woman who said that her 16-year-old daughter had just been involved in a crash.
Deputies went to the home and found a vehicle with significant damage, and made contact with the teen driver and her passenger.
The teenage girl was found to have been involved in the crash and is believed to have been impaired at the time.
She was arrested on multiple charges including negligent homicide, manslaughter, aggravated assault, excessive speed, endangerment, leaving the scene of a crash, and underage DUI. She may face additional charges as the investigation continues.
Ash Fork is located between Flagstaff and Kingman in northern Arizona.
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Criminal Case
We’re unlikely to hear much if anything about this ever again unless Yavapai County charges the driver as an adult.