Cycling, traffic safety, traffic justice, and legal topics; energy, transit and transportion economics
1/16/2020 ~ 5:30PM Bicyclist fatality “near 15th and Southern avenues, when a bicyclist identified as Mario Hernandez Roman, 25, was in the two-way left turn lane and was struck by a white SUV headed eastbound on Southern Avenue, according to police.” The driver fled the scene (a criminal felony), the damaged vehicle was located nearby. The owner of the vehicle told police it was stolen.
Continue reading “Phoenix Bicyclist killed by hit/run SUV driver”
There was a bunch of information published about a settlement between a bicyclist injured in 2014 and the city of Scottsdale; After much back-and-forth the city eventually settled the case for $120,000; significantly less than the $1M ask, but significantly more than the city’s earlier offer of $60,000.
The city staff reports mention the cyclist had (already) settled with the driver, presumably the driver’s insurance, and as this was a strike-from-behind they probably just accepted liability. The theory of liability with the city is they should have, but did not, provide a bicycle lane or shoulder.
It provides an look at the machinations of personal injury law that those of us on the outside don’t usually see. Continue reading “Scottsdale settles bicyclist injury lawsuit”
A 31 year old man has become the first traffic fatality on the new section of freeway that opened in late December, just a couple of weeks ago. DPS reports that 31-year-old Josafath Rubio-Hernandez died while driving the wrong way on the freeway near Elliot Road and collided head-on with a semi-truck.
Police said they are still investigating if the driver was impaired. Most wrong-way drivers involved in fatal collisions are impaired (thought to be around 75%)
Continue reading “Driver dies in wrong-way crash on new Freeway”
12/26/2019 11:15AM Bell Rd at 35th Ave, Phoenix. The driver of the grey Avenger “was driving west at a high rate of speed and entered the intersection, colliding with the (red) Mustang”, after which he drove up on the sidewalk and killed/injured a bunch of people. The Mustang driver was attempting to turn left. Police have said they intend to charge the as yet unnamed Avenger driver with manslaughter and aggravated assault. Continue reading “Teen, unborn baby killed after crash sent car onto Phoenix sidewalk”
Green means go, right? Even when there’s something really big, with really bright flashing lights. Yet somehow a driver missed all those cues — “The Jeep’s driver told the responding police officer that he didn’t realize the bus was going to stop at the railroad tracks and kept driving because there was a green light”. Continue reading “Tempe City Council candidate hurt after car rolled under school bus in crash”
Authorities have finally located and arrested suspect in the 2006 DUI death of Jason Wedo.
See earlier stories: suspect-still-on-the-loose-after-2006-fatality/
11/19/2019 12:50PM. A wrong-way bicyclist collided headon with the driver of a pickup along 22nd Street, near South Vista Overlook Drive. According to the news report (and the picture seems to corroborate) that both were in the curb lane (the right-most of 3 thru lanes there); what’s weird is that places the bicyclist ~ 15 feet from the curb since there’s both a BL and an RTO lane there (it’s a very wide road).
11/15/2019 3:09AM A hit and run motorist drifted (or otherwise was driving) in the Bike Lane, northbound S Park Ave near E 27th St, Tucson and killed 45 y.o. bicyclist Michael Noriega.
HIT AND RUN BE ON THE LOOKOUT: suspect vehicle: dark-colored pickup truck similar in style to a Ford Ranger. See something say something; a sharp eyed neighbor enabled police to make arrest in ped-fatal hit/run in Chandler a few weeks ago.
Continue reading “Tucson cyclist killed by hit&run driver on Park Ave”
Ann Day is a prominent member of a prominent Pima county family; a former County Supervisor, and was the sister of retired Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’connor.
Something is rotten in Pima County. It seems to me cases with very similar fact-sets (extreme speed and recklessness, DUI, causing headon) routinely go for manslaughter elsewhere. Continue reading “Driver who killed Ann Day gets less than 5 years”
11/8/2019 ~ 8:30PM 42 y.o. female bicyclist Brandy Heideman was killed along Thomas Road somewhere between 32nd and 35th st, Phoenix. Continue reading “Woman killed along Thomas Rd, Phoenix”
Early morning head-on freeway crash SR51 near Indian School. The driver known only as a 27 y.o. man from Ohio was driving a (new?) Corvette the wrong way. Police think the driver may have been impaired. Really? You don’t say. The name hasn’t been released but expect aggravated assault charges when he’s released from hospital.
Two Tempe officers hurt in wrong-way crash on SR-51 in Phoenix
10/7/2019 6:42PM (sunset was 6:04, so mostly darkness). Sierra Vista police report that a 53 y.o. female bicyclist was killed crossing SR92 against the light, according to witnesses, at Kachina Trail.
Continue reading “Sierra Vista woman killed at intersection”
Background: in August 2019, City of Tempe made substantial changes to their local codes dealing with traffic[1]. Although the focus shifted over time (the process began soon after a Nov 2017 crosswalk death of a bicyclist), the ostensible reason to get something passed at that particular time was the feeling that escooters needed further regulation; and it would be mayhem if the fall school session began with “no laws” in place. Continue reading “Tempe’s Local Ordinance — Part II”
A woman has been arrested after she killed two pedestrians including a boy and a grown man, stopped briefly, then fled the scene, telling police, because “she thought she hit a dog.” Must have been one big dog.
See something, say something — In this case there was a fairly good vehicle description between witnesses and evidence left at the scene. The news reports that police found the driver via a neighbor’s tip. Continue reading “She thought she hit a dog”
The Arizona Republic has been running a series of throwback stories from the files of report Don Bolles who was murdered in 1976, presumably related to mob investigations he was conducting.
This one, unrelated to mob, popped up this week Don Bolles files: The drunken crash that led to tougher Arizona DUI law
The quick synopsis was in the early morning hours of Easter Sunday 1971 a very drunk driver at .251 BAC killed 3 people and left a 4th person in a permanent vegetative state. He was portrayed as being not particularly remorseful. He ultimately served 6 months of a 1 year sentence for a guilty plea to misdemeanor manslaughter. Continue reading “The drunken crash that led to tougher Arizona DUI law”