Wrong-way driver Patricia Murphy who caused crash with two fatalities on loop 202 in May 18, 2014 has plead not guilty to all charges including two counts of 2nd degree murder. Police say in June that Murphy “had a blood-alcohol content of 0.18, more than twice the legal limit. A urine test showed Murphy also tested positive for opiates and benzodiazepine” Continue reading “Wrong Way driver from May freeway fatalities pleads not guilty”
Tag: headon
Wrong-way freeway driver drama continues
Latest incident early morning hours of Friday Oct 17, 2014 when an un-named female 25 year old was suspected of being impaired, driving the wrong way on I-10 from 143 to downtown Phoenix, and causing 4 serious-to-critical injuries. Authorities are doing a very good job of protecting suspects’ identities, for some reason. Continue reading “Wrong-way freeway driver drama continues”
Murder Weapon?
Tidbits of information continue to trickle out related to the spate of three wrong way crashes that killed 7 motorists on Phoenix area freeways in three separate crashes in less than a week.
The suspect in the third wreck, Patricia Murphy was apparently drunk at the time, and additionally tested positive for some drugs. The wreckage of the Ford F-150 pickup she was driving is shown at right. Continue reading “Murder Weapon?”
More head-on freeway deaths
This time the wrong-way driver killed two; bringing the death toll for the three incidents in a week to SEVEN in three incidents.
Sun May 18, 2014 ~ 2a: The wrong way pickup driver, 68-year-old Patricia Murphy killed Michael Ruquet, 25, and his passenger Ashley Adea, 20 both of Mesa. Murphy had a passenger, her 9-year-old grandson; both are expected to survive Continue reading “More head-on freeway deaths”
Second wrong-way driver this week kills 3 more on freeway
So it’s been a bad week for Phoenix/Valley motorists; 5 dead in two head-on freeway collisions. Plus a bunch of serious injuries. Though presumably just a statistical coincidence to have two such fiery crashes in such a short amount of time, it certainly can serve as a reminder of the general dangerousness of traffic.
In the 1st incident on 5/12/2014 shortly after midnight off duty Mesa Police officer Brandon Mendoza; and wrong-way highly intoxicated Raul Silva Corona both died after colliding head-on. [Officer Mendoza’s case was mentioned in Families of slain Arizona officers wait for federal benefit, noting that a $340,000 federal benefit to the families of police officers killed in the line of duty isn’t available under federal benefit rules. Federal rules do not include driving to or from work to be “line of duty”]
In the 2nd incident 5/16/2014 on I-17, dead are; Evan Christian Hendriadi, 50; Jenny Sudjono, 70; and Lioe Kim Tjhiuw, 78. That crash left three others with serious injury (4 counting the wrong-way driver, a man in his 60’s who is suspected of being impaired. [minor UPDATE: police/DPS still haven’t named the driver. I was told on 8/1/2014 this is still the case because the suspect is still in the hospital, and has so far not been charged]
Other Random Motoring Mayhem
Brittany Nolan was charged with 2nd degree murder in connection Continue reading “Second wrong-way driver this week kills 3 more on freeway”
Founder of Yuma Bike Club killed in head-on collision
[Update: on 9/1/2010 the driver was cited Case Number: M-1442-TR-201001097, Somerton Municipal Court]
Cyclist Doug Flynn was killed, and at least one more rider injured, in a head-on collision last year (Sept 24, 2009) by a driver trying to pass a large farm tractor on a two lane roadway.
[for a line-item on each fatality since 2009; follow this link]
A tribute to Doug posted on the YBC’s website reads “Yuma Bike Club is Continue reading “Founder of Yuma Bike Club killed in head-on collision”
Drunken driver Sentenced in Cop’s Death
Salvador Vivas-Diaz was sentenced to the maximum of 16 years in prison after being found guilty of manslaughter after driving drunk and hitting Phoenix PD Officer Shane Figueroa head-on. The officer was responding to a call at the time.
Traffic collisions, not, say, guns, are the leading cause of line-of-duty deaths of police officers. See: More Police Killed by Traffic than Guns.