Tag: closed case

Driver arrested in hit/run death of jogger in 2018

April 8, 2018 a hit/run driver killed Taylor White, a 21 y.o. GCU student that was jogging in a crosswalk.

Three years later, a driver was arrest on susp of 2nd degree murder (and presumably, leaving the scene of a fatal). There is much that is not said in the news article. 2nd degree murder indicates police believe they can prove the driver not only caused the crash that resulted (it was in a crosswalk, so that’s probably covered), but that the driver was doing something particularly reckless at the time — normally the only thing that will ever rise to that level is intoxication. The article says nothing about why he was charged that way.

This wouldn’t be the first time diligent policework led to a driver’s hit-and-run arrest much later, see e.g. hit-and-run-and-good-old-fashioned-policework/

Continue reading “Driver arrested in hit/run death of jogger in 2018”

Tempe woman killed at Mill and Baseline in hit-run; suspect arrested

Crash Friday evening around 7:30PM, 4/2/2021. Tempe police say a driver of a pickup towing a trailer made a left northbound Mill turning onto westbound Baseline collided with a 41 y.o. female bicycle. She was dragged to her death, and the driver fled the scene. Police arrested a suspect, Raul Meza Portillo, around 1AM at his home. That he was held on suspicion of 2nd degree murder, as well as leaving the scene indicate police believe he both was intoxicated at the time, and caused the crash.

Continue reading “Tempe woman killed at Mill and Baseline in hit-run; suspect arrested”

3 y.o. Glendale boy killed by hit and run driver

5/21/2020 ~ 1PM Hit and run driver of Jeep killed 3 y.o. Carson, who was riding in a trailer pulled by father. Carson’s mother was also injured.

Collin Jones arrested by Glendale PD

The family was north on the eastside (that’s an odd way to describe it; it appears to describe the group was cycling “in the direction of traffic”) of 70th Avenue, just north of Villa Theresa Drive, when a vehicle heading south ran over the bike trailer.

This is a wholly residential area.

Continue reading “3 y.o. Glendale boy killed by hit and run driver”

Drag racer convicted in fatal Ahwatukee crash

[by the way, this is just another incident where a driver drove up over the sidewalk. In this instance “only” a motorist was killed but obviously anyone on the sidewalk would have killed or seriously injured]

This is a historical/archive incident occurring nearly two decades ago… involving very fast driving as well as DUI, that as a result a Domino’s pizza delivery driver was killed. The claim that the delivery driver was at fault, he emerged from a driveway, for causing the crash did not prevent the fast & drinking driver from being convicted at jury trial of 2nd Degree Murder (and also hit-and-run).

July 4, 2001 just after midnight. Warner-Elliot, just S of Equestrian, Phoenix (Ahwatukee)

The crash involved 3 vehicles,  a third driver: Weston Doyle, 17 of yellow mustang was allegedly drag racing Sucharew. Dolye lost control but didn’t hit either of the other cars and crashed into a block wall. Sucharew was charged with 2nd degree homicide and leaving the scene (hiding in a yard!), was driving a white eclipse and the victim was driving a red Mitsubishi. story lead section B on 7/5/2001. Traveling between 70 and 80mph… “Alcohol was believed to be involved, but a driving-under-the-influence charge will not be filed because of the homicide charge, police said” Continue reading “Drag racer convicted in fatal Ahwatukee crash”

Occupants and Non-occupants

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

Continue reading “Occupants and Non-occupants”

DUI and wrong-way driving

DUI has a new aggravation — wrong way driving — as of 2018. Presumably added in the recent years as wrong-way driving, which is almost always associated with impairment, seems to have become more common. (NTSB says official — FARS —  stats are only 50%, however because of non-testing all drivers, the actual figure is “as high as” 75%)

This popped up in the news a few days ago; when police say driver Charles Tack was DUI, driving the wrong way, and involved in a (non-injury) collision on the Loop 202 freeway near I-10. Continue reading “DUI and wrong-way driving”

More sidewalk driving

Baseline and 7th Street, Phoenix.

6/24/2018 around 4pm Baseline near 7th st, Phoenix.

From the probable cause statement:

 

 

The defendant was operating a motor vehicle in the area of 700 E Baseline road where he was traveling eastbound in the westbound lanes of Baseline Road. The def proceeded eastbound through the intersection of 7th street in the westbound curb lane of Baseline Road where he drove up onto the sidewalk along the north side of baseline road  and struck the victim WHO WAS WALKING ON THE SIDEWALK…

Continue reading “More sidewalk driving”

Glendale bicyclist struck by hit-and-run driver has died

Hit and Run Suspect

Hit and run crash occurred 3/29/2018 ~ 9pm. The bicyclist died of his injuries 4/30.

“Cleon Baker was riding his bike east on Camelback Road near 48th Avenue the night of March 29. Just before 9 p.m., a van – a white Ford Econline with its headlights off, police say — hit him.”

Police are still seeking the driver of a white Ford Econoline van; they believe the driver was caught on surveillance video, described as a Hispanic male, 25-35 years old with a shaved head, mustache, and a thin build.  Continue reading “Glendale bicyclist struck by hit-and-run driver has died”

Uber involved pedestrian fatality

Preface: This crash has nothing to do with bicycling other than the pedestrian was pushing a bicycle at the time. Because of the notoriety, the incident has its own wiki article.

3/18/2018 night-time (10pm?)  mid-block pedestrian fatality might not even be reported in the news; but this being the first reported AV (Autonomous Vehicle) traffic fatality (in the world?!), it’s huge news. Continue reading “Uber involved pedestrian fatality”

Man murdered in Scottsdale

security cam footage of assailant escaping

2/22/2018,  N Scottsdale Road, near McDowell. Why this took over three weeks to make the news is very weird!? The assailant escaped after jumping into a black 1995 to 1996 black Nissan 200SX, with a 2nd suspect already in the vehicle. Police have so far not located the suspect or vehicle.

This will be a non-traffic statistic (because not a collision with a “motor vehicle in transport”)

Continue reading “Man murdered in Scottsdale”

Another Ahwatukee jogger killed on sidewalk: driver arrested

Photo: ABC15. Driver Arrested suspicion of Manslaughter

Holy sh!t, another one, I mean another jogger in Ahwatukee killed by a dangerous out-of-control driver… this is a small place. Freak “accident”? Two freak “accidents”?;

11/2/2017 ~ 4AM . Pedestrian /  jogger killed on sidewalk near Lakewood Parkway and Amberwood Drive this is a collector road in a residential neighborhood. Police suspect driver was impaired, she was arrested on suspicion of manslaughter. Witnesses reported that the driver of the vehicle, 25-year-old Shannon Scott, was driving on the sidewalk when Hilts was struck”

Continue reading “Another Ahwatukee jogger killed on sidewalk: driver arrested”

PD: Bicyclist killed by impaired driver at South Mountain park in Phoenix

FINAL(?) UPDATE: sentencing occurred 10/14/2022; see discussion below.

10/29/2017 bicyclist killed in headon crash with wrong-way susp. impaired driver.
Summit Trail Road inside South Mountain Park, Phoenix. There were no specific location given, here is a sample of the Summit Road.

Continue reading “PD: Bicyclist killed by impaired driver at South Mountain park in Phoenix”

Wrong-way driver faces homicide charge in death of motorcyclist on I-17

These are the kinds of upgraded gigantic signs that WW drivers must pass to enter freeways.

This past Wednesday (6/28/2017) afternoon, another wrong way fatal crash and another driver is locked up. “Fixing” wrong way driving can most obviously be effected by removing impaired drivers from the road. Proposed, costly, technological gadgets to detect wrong-way can have only limited usefulness. Abc15.com reports that the wrong-way driver “… admitted to drinking before driving and blood tests came back with a blood alcohol level of .160”

Continue reading “Wrong-way driver faces homicide charge in death of motorcyclist on I-17”

Driver kills Bullhead City cyclist; is arrested

photo: Mojave Valley The Daily News

5/5/2017 bicyclist Robert Dale Fox II was killed by driver Melanie Laverne Jones, and arrested on suspicion of 2nd degree murder
suspected and DUI.
The rear end collision occurred on SR95 between Home Depot and the USPS. (~ MP 249)

The outside lane appears to be quite ( ~ 14 feet plus a 2 foot gutter pan) wide, and the bicyclist was thrown into the curb. The motorist was likely swerved toward the curb. The body of that car is ~ 6 feet wide. Continue reading “Driver kills Bullhead City cyclist; is arrested”

Spewing Hatred

[This is an old case: it happened in Tucson before 2009, but it has a bit of a twist… ]

December 1, 2006: A driver plows into the rear end of a bicyclist in a Tuscon-area Bike Lane (or probably more accurately, a shoulder), killing him. The young woman driving is drunk, very drunk. She tried for manslaughter, gets convicted of the lesser included charge of negligent homicide by the jury; here’s the twist, a phone call from jail while awaiting sentencing (from what i remember, all jail phone calls are monitored/recorded) causes her to receive the max sentence: Continue reading “Spewing Hatred”