motorist injury – Arizona Bike Law

Police: Driver that killed officer ran red light

Not much remains of this full-sized SUV that was struck by a sedan at a right angle.

5/31/2021 Monday night. Phoenix police officer killed by reported red-light runner Police say the driver of a sedan ran a red light, apparently at extremely high speed, causing an apocalyptic crash with a Phoenix police full-sized SUV at the intersection Cave Creek Road & Greenway Parkway. Both drivers are dead; the sedan driver was identified as “31-year-old Christopher Castro, died at the scene. Police say speed and impairment by Castro are believed to be contributing factors to the crash… The force of the crash caused the officer’s vehicle to crash through a brick wall and into a gas station parking lot.” Continue reading “Police: Driver that killed officer ran red light”

Driver critically injures Mesa Police officer in freeway crash

8/11/2020 around 11am. Horrendous crash on US60 near Greenfield. Is it really too much to ask drivers to look where they are driving? The driver of an enormous* SUV plowed into the rear end of a stopped police cruiser, seriously injuring the officer.

Mesa officer, woman injured in multivehicle crash on east U.S. 60 near Greenfield Road

No word on why the driver wasn’t in control of her vehicle. How will this be handled? for comparison, see: Continue reading “Driver critically injures Mesa Police officer in freeway crash”

4 people injured at Phoenix bus stop as driver careens into sidewalk

3 peds were injured with one in extremely critical condition, a second in critical, and the third in serious condition.

Police say a left turning driver of a VW failed to yield caused the driver of an Altima to careen onto the sidewalk, wiping out 3 peds and a bus stop.

Jan 30, 2020 ; 6:45 p.m. on Greenway Parkway near Waltann Lane, Continue reading “4 people injured at Phoenix bus stop as driver careens into sidewalk”

Tempe City Council candidate hurt after car rolled under school bus in crash

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”

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”

Police: Pickup truck driver deliberately hit stalled motorcycle

Hit and run driver suspect vehicle: Toyota Tacoma TRD 1998-99 model

Hit and run. Police are treating this as a suspected aggravated assault; according to the silent witness flyer

Continue reading “Police: Pickup truck driver deliberately hit stalled motorcycle”

PD: Street racing may have led to driver crashing into Tempe building

10/15/2018 9:30PM; Rural Road just north of Guadalupe Road, Tempe. Yesterday evening, a speeding driver lost control, crossing over bike lanes, sidewalk, and eventually ran into a building.

PD: Street racing may have led to driver crashing into Tempe building
TEMPE, AZ (3TV/CBS 5) – A driver has life-threatening injuries after slamming into a building…Police say two drivers were speeding next to each other when one of them spun out and crashed into the building on the corner.

Continue reading “PD: Street racing may have led to driver crashing into Tempe building”

Massive crash on Phx local street leaves driver dead

mid-day (~2pm) Thursday March 1, 2018.

A driver veered for unknown reasons causing a massive collision leaving that driver dead, and sending several to the hospital. This is on a “local” street, Roeser Rd east of 32nd St, adjacent to a nice park. “Officers are investigating whether speed or impairment were a factor in the crash” abc15 Continue reading “Massive crash on Phx local street leaves driver dead”

Does AZ really have “tough” DUI laws?

Arizona metes out harsh penalties for drunken driving, with mandatory jail time and heavy fines, and Maricopa County Attorney Bill Montgomery said Arizona has steep penalties for good reason

— Arizona toughest in nation on DUIs, study says

“simple” DUI results in spending a day in jail; this is apparently enough to place AZ as having the toughest laws.

You might expect, then, that DUI drivers who injure people, and are not simply driving around impaired, would receive harsh sentences. Continue reading “Does AZ really have “tough” DUI laws?”

Glendale officer’s deadly crash costs city $3.8 million

Yikes. Police officer involved crash resulting in several serious injuries, including a motorist and people walking on the sidewalk. Anyways, lots of dollars. He was never charged, of course; despite speeding at 30+mph over the speed limit. Continue reading “Glendale officer’s deadly crash costs city $3.8 million”

ASU student dies in Tempe road-rage shooting

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Tempe Police‏@TempePolice

Shooting update: Female driver shot by another female driver after a traffic collision. Injured driver collided w a 3rd car injuring 5 passengers Continue reading “ASU student dies in Tempe road-rage shooting”

Head-on collision sends 3 to hospital

Cornville Road Head-on collision sends 3 to hospital; just coincidentally this is the same road and very near where cyclist Ethelyn Hartline was killed in 2014 when a motorist failed to overtake her safely.

The driver who police say caused the crash was cited for “Failure to Drive in the Proper Lane, and Causing Serious Physical Injury during a Moving Violation”. That second part would have to be 28-672, a minor criminal misdemeanor that has penalties that can include license suspension, and traffic survival school, as well as a small amount of restitution. I’m unclear what is particular statute the proper lane business refers to — 28-672 has a specific list of enabling violations. It would most likely be 28-729(1) which requires not moving from a lane unless it can be done safely. Crossing a double-yellow is also illegal (statute?), but that’s not a ‘672-enabler.

Continue reading “Head-on collision sends 3 to hospital”

Wrong way August I-17 pickup driver

For much more on dangerous, impaired (mentally, disoriented, or via chemicals/alcohol) see wrong-way. They drive among us. One of my fears is the incidents are being treated as though the problem is with not enough signs on freeway. These are dangerous, criminal in most cases, drivers who are out driving around, who can (and do) cause all sorts of mayhem.

News story about the aftermath of Aug 22, 2015 wrong-way pickup truck driver, 48-year-old Timothy Harjo of Wickenburg. Was driving ~ 70mph north in the southbound lanes of I-17 around 5:45am ~ 12 mile from Sunset Point. DPS Trooper Jeremy Barr acted heroically to essentially crash into the perpetrator, averting what could easily resulted in a major disaster. Continue reading “Wrong way August I-17 pickup driver”

Pickup driver plows into Police car; 2 officers seriously injured

Police work entails risk, and the risk from a traffic crash is a leading cause of death among officers; e.g. see more-police-killed-by-traffic-than-guns Continue reading “Pickup driver plows into Police car; 2 officers seriously injured”