2025-02-11 856p Bicyclist was struck by an eastbound driver while ‘crossing’ Van Buren in the vicinity of 19th Ave, Phoenix.
While the term ‘crossing’ is confusing with regard to a bicyclist; it implies the bicyclist was behaving as a pedestrian (“pedestrian on wheels”), rather than operating vehicularly which may or may not be true. This area (sample location) has a profusion of driveways where vehicles (or bicyclists) may enter the roadway but only after yielding to traffic moving along the street (Van Buren). It makes little or no difference in determining fault; I point it out only because it makes it harder to categorize the crash… and Phoenix in particular does seem to have a lot of such crashes resulting in bicyclist fatalities.
Especially along streets set up like this — it’s a rather gross 5-lane arterial; two thru lanes in each direction with a continuous center lane (a ‘TWLTL’).
The driver was suspected of DUI and was was processed and released according to PPD, making this similar to the scenario where Han Hughes was killed in downtown Phx in 2021. In that case a driver was also suspected of DUI, he was processed and released; and later was charged and plead guilty to misdemeanor DUI. In the Hughes incident the fault could not be proven so the driver was not charged in the death.
AND I also note that PPD did not release the name of the driver. Why not?
Here is what Phoenix Police said in a media release, I find .pdfs annoying so here it is in its entirety:
Date/Time: February 11, 2025, around 8:56 p.m.
Incident: 2025-217894
Location: 1900 West Van Buren Street
Victim: David Allen Smith, 57-year-old, deceased
Central Phoenix Collision Claims Bicyclist’s Life
Phoenix Police detectives are investigating a Central Phoenix collision that left a man dead.
On February 11, 2025, around 9:00 p.m., officers responded to the area of 19th Avenue and Van Buren Street regarding a collision involving a bicyclist. When officers arrived, they located the adult
male bicycle rider, identified as 57-year-old David Smith, with serious injuries. Smith was transported
to a nearby hospital, but he did not survive his injuries and was pronounced deceased. The vehicle
involved and the adult male driver of this vehicle remained on scene.
Detectives responded to take over the investigation.
Preliminary information suggests that Smith was crossing Van Buren Street, mid-block, when he was struck by the vehicle involved which was traveling eastbound.
The adult male driver of the vehicle involved showed signs of impairment. He was processed and released from the scene. The results of this portion of the investigation are pending. Charging decisions will be made after the accident reconstruction process is complete and the full impairment results are obtained. Additional details about the collision remain part of the ongoing investigation.
Sergeant Rob Scherer
Public Affairs Bureau
.