Tandem crash at Julian Wash Greenway crossing

3/30/2022 3:31pm.  [this was several months ago]

both the tandem and vehicle were southbound S 2nd St at intersection of Ajo Way. This is a signalized intersection, it is an entrance/exit to Veteran’s Hospital complex.

The bicyclists were struck when the driver turned right from 2nd Ave, as they were crossing southbound in the marked crosswalk, which is in effect a trail crossing of the Julian Wash Greenway; the cyclists presumably had been heading east on the trail, where it crosses from the North to the South side at the intersection of Ajo Way. Continue reading “Tandem crash at Julian Wash Greenway crossing”

Teenage e-bicyclist killed in Tucson crash

7/26/2022 ~ 830am. Fatal collision between an e-bicyclist and heavy truck, along E 22nd St near Pantano, Tucson. According to the police/news report the cyclist was headed westbound in the eastbound bike lane when he collided with a semi-truck emerging from a private drive. Continue reading “Teenage e-bicyclist killed in Tucson crash”

2022 Preliminary Arizona Traffic Crash Stats

[UPDATE: yes, this is wrong wrong wrong. 2022 was in fact a terrible, bad, worse year; see Arizona Crash Facts 2022 ]

This is a warning about preliminary data and drawing stats from it… there was a news article “Arizona traffic fatalities are down in 2022, data shows” that was suggesting that 2022 might be on-track for significantly fewer traffic fatalities:

After a deadlier than usual year for traffic deaths in 2021, fatalities in 2022 showed a sharp decrease, according to preliminary data from the Arizona Governor’s Office of Highway Safety.
According to the preliminary data from the office, traffic fatalities between January and June fell from 626 deaths in 2021 to 350 deaths in 2022 — a 44% decrease.

Sadly, this is unlikely to be true. Continue reading “2022 Preliminary Arizona Traffic Crash Stats”

Crosswalks, Jaywalking and Abortion?

Jaywalking suspect?

At azbikelaw, we don’t discuss abortion; but we do talk about how some police disregard the law; all while acting heavy-handed. There’s also a huge creepyness factor here in that these people that were arrested besides not doing anything illegal, and were literally not bothering anyone, they were leaving the area and were ‘caught’ on video surveillance. Continue reading “Crosswalks, Jaywalking and Abortion?”

Driver in fatal Uber crash rejects plea deal

The case grinds on; police say the driver involved in the “autonomous” uber-pedestrian death in 2018 was watching TV instead of watching the road. Prosecutors (finally) brought negligent homicide charges in 2020. The current news item of interest is the driver has recently rejected an offer which would entail the driver pleading guilty to the charge in exchange for it being treated as a “non-dangerous” felony. That would, almost certainly, result in a sentence of only probation and no incarceration. Continue reading “Driver in fatal Uber crash rejects plea deal”

Arizona Crash Data

There is a search tool available, consider it in ‘beta’, for any Arizona reported crash involving a motor vehicle for any years between 2009 and 2022. And most, but not final 2023 is loaded (note it takes as much as many months to get into the database):

You can search by specific date, name of road, city, county, year, injury type, latitude/longitude. In addition to Arizona, the complete United States FARS (fatality only) is searchable but only by date. Continue reading “Arizona Crash Data”

Hit-and-run driver was speeding before killing bicyclist in Buckeye, court docs say

5/21/2022 6AM. Bicyclist 60 y.o. George Cooper is dead, and another hit-and-run suspect Fernando Ramos, was arrested by MSCO, “… a crash recreation showed he was going around 60 mph in a 45 mph zone. The Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office says Ramos previously served time for aggravated assault with a vehicle and has also been arrested in the past for DUI”.
This comes less than a month after  police arrested another driver, Richard Romo, also with a horrendous past driving record in connection with the hit-and-run killing of a 13 y.o. child in Goodyear neighborhood. What are authorities doing to keep the public safe from criminal drivers? Continue reading “Hit-and-run driver was speeding before killing bicyclist in Buckeye, court docs say”

Warner Road in the 21st Century

68 Foot (curb-to-curb) arterial (the white hash lines on the left and right represent gutters) — Old (top) vs. new (bottom) — BL was minimum; now is 5 feet plus gutter (6.5′ total)

Beginning in 2016, working from west to east, the entire length of Warner Road in City of Tempe has been resurfaced. The last segment, was just completed in May 2022.SMOOTH! Continue reading “Warner Road in the 21st Century”

Driver sentenced; Goodyear police seek hit-and-run killer

suspect vehicle located as it is towed from suspect’s residence 2 days after fatal crash

Update: suspect arrested; 44 y.o. Richard Romo. Suspect had a long list of dangerous driving problems, as well as other legal difficulties; previous DUI(s; multiple. aggravated DUI) suspended license (why wasn’t probation revoked last year when he was caught driving?); reckless driving. Much more as situation develops. The suspect, the victim, and the victim’s school are all within 1/2 mile or so of each other. This is in a neighborhood. Disgusting. Continue reading “Driver sentenced; Goodyear police seek hit-and-run killer”

Speeding driver kills two in east Mesa; arrested

Tuesday afternoon 3/22/2022 5:30pm.

Mesa police say 21 y.o. driver Gezane Izreal Cabanillas-Lape was speeding at ~ 100mph along Main street (aka Apache Blvd) at Windsor and struck a minivan; killing both elderly occupants. Police arrested the driver on susp of 2nd degree murder, along with agg assault due to his passenger’s injuries, the news item mentions that impairment is not suspected.

Continue reading “Speeding driver kills two in east Mesa; arrested”

Jeep Wagoneer’s Massive Appeal

Ha ha, the WSJ’s Dan Neil brings satire and sarcasm to the topic… in an article entitled “Jeep Wagoneer’s Massive Appeal“; that’s with emphasis on ‘massive’ 🙂

You’ll probably need an account to read the full article, but here are a few quotes (any emphasis added): Continue reading “Jeep Wagoneer’s Massive Appeal”

Too narrow to share; and slow speed rules

Review of motorist slow speed rules

Slow-moving Construction vehicle impeding traffic.

— some vehicles are “slow by nature” (e.g. buses, heavy equipment, or most commonly a heavily loaded truck; especially up a grade, etc). Police seem to have no trouble understanding this is not an impeding violation… Continue reading “Too narrow to share; and slow speed rules”

Report reveals Pinal Co Sheriff Lamb’s son was believed to be ‘impaired’ during near-fatal crash w/ bicyclist

Aftermath of near-fatal collision; MSCO says the driver was impaired

7/8/2020 6:45PM San Tan Valley area, on Gary Road just south of Judd Road, at around 6:45 pm on July 8.

A driver nearly killed bicyclist Larry Fawcet when police say he drove off the road; as you can see from the extensive damage on the vehicle, the driver was WAY off the road, striking the bicyclist on the (unpaved part?) of the shoulder. When the investigation report was finally released months after (but still before tox results were released) being harangued by ABC15, it revealed that the driver “… Cooper Lamb failed nearly every field sobriety test administered. The Drug Recognition Expert wrote that Cooper ‘displayed poor balance and fine motor skills, his speech was slow and slightly slurred, and he had major problems with simple comprehension on instructions’.”

Continue reading “Report reveals Pinal Co Sheriff Lamb’s son was believed to be ‘impaired’ during near-fatal crash w/ bicyclist”

Woman snuffed out by driver while sitting at bus stop in So Tempe

Mangled bus stop bench is left in wake of a driver who killed woman sitting at bus stop.

1/14/2022 5:30am. 78 y.o. “truck” driver southbound Rural Road near Carver in south Tempe for unexplained reasons lost control and crossed over into northbound lanes, continued on up to sidewalk where he killed 59 y.o. Alice Myskowski who was sitting at a bus stop waiting for her bus to work. Continue reading “Woman snuffed out by driver while sitting at bus stop in So Tempe”