open case – Page 5 – Arizona Bike Law

Wrong-way driver arrested: DUI susp

DPS (white SUV) stopped this reckless driver in Flagstaff

DUI drivers remain a serious threat to every road user, whether you walk, or jog, or ride a bike or ride a motorcycle, or drive a car. SSTI recently published a good review of related research on the occasion of Utah being the first US state to lower per se limit to 0.05 BAC.

The latest gem is a driver who initially came to the attention of police when they “began receiving calls reporting a reckless driver in a Nissan Rogue traveling on the sidewalk and nearly striking several vehicles along Milton Road in Flagstaff.” Police stopped the vehicle but the driver fled, ending up going wrong way on I-40. This is on a Saturday (11/17/2018) afternoon around 3:30pm. Continue reading “Wrong-way driver arrested: DUI susp”

Suspect arrested in hit-and-run that injured deputy

This horrible incident occurred in Springfield Township, OH October 2018. I’m listing it here as a point of reference regarding hit-and-run and traffic justice. It’s also a good reminder that law enforcement officers face significant risks from dangerous drivers, compared to other occupations risks, e.g. bad guys with guns. Continue reading “Suspect arrested in hit-and-run that injured deputy”

Wrong-way driver kills bicyclist on A-mountain

10/11/2018 Thursday “morning”; victim 71 y.o. bicyclist Rick Ellwanger
Driver arrested suspected impairment. Wrong-way; hit-and-run; additional pedestrian victims.

On Friday afternoon police identified the suspect as 20-year-old Yanibra Moreno saying she’s being held on susp of 2nd degree murder and leaving the scene.

Continue reading “Wrong-way driver kills bicyclist on A-mountain”

Driver jumps curb, kills Mesa man on sidewalk

victim Dana Machado was killed while walking on the sidewalk

9/23/2018 9:30am pedestrian 48 y.o. male Dana Machado was killed when a driver drove onto the sidewalk where the victim was walking his dog. Police arrested driver Richard Cruz on susp of DUI and are awaiting tox results.

Continue reading “Driver jumps curb, kills Mesa man on sidewalk”

Toddler killed in Tempe parking lot

ped fatality in apt complex; victim 3 yo girl. Occurred in the parking lot of apartment complex near University Drive and Rural Road around 2 p.m. June 25, 2018

It’s been widely noted that AZ has a growing and worsening ped traffic fatality “problem”; fortunately this one doesn’t count (yes, this is sarcasm, but nevertheless true)… because it happened in a private lot, it’s non-traffic and as such doesn’t count as a traffic fatality; DUI or otherwise. (similar to e.g. little Daylin Garcia Enos who was killed in a Tucson apt complex parking lot by a backing UPS truck)

Continue reading “Toddler killed in Tempe parking lot”

Driver arrested in Sierra Vista bicyclist fatality

5/8/2018 1:36pm Buffalo Soldier Trail just south of Garden Ave.

Bicyclist 71-year old David Alva was killed. The driver was arrested.

No particulars were given about the crash; I inferred the bicyclist was struck from behind. The road there is wide multi-laned, divided, arterial in addition to wide bike lanes. Continue reading “Driver arrested in Sierra Vista bicyclist fatality”

Road Rage, late-night bar-hopping, and guns

Incident Feb 4, 2018 left an off-duty Tempe fire captain Kyle Brayer dead.

The defendant, Hezron Parks, has plead not guilty to a variety of charges: 3X aggravated assault, 7X endangerment, and leaving the scene, and some others. Murder charges, if any, have yet to be brought — “The defendant stated that he felt threatened and justified in grabbing his unholstered handgun” Continue reading “Road Rage, late-night bar-hopping, and guns”

13-year-old boy struck, killed on sidewalk in south Phoenix by susp impaired driver

12/1/2017 ~ 1:30pm A SB driver 19th Ave near Broadway, Phoenix while speeding and illegally passing vehicles (i.e. driving SB in NB lanes), lost control and drove up on the sidewalk, killing 13 y.o. Cordell Gooch

Police say there were “early indications that the driver showed signs of impairment”

Continue reading “13-year-old boy struck, killed on sidewalk in south Phoenix by susp impaired driver”

Sidewalk driver accused of murder in a ‘random act of violence’

A driver drove up on the sidewalk and killed a woman and injured her child near 41st St and Jomax, Phoenix.

Police describe the incident as murder, and a ‘random act of violence’. Quite.

Continue reading “Sidewalk driver accused of murder in a ‘random act of violence’”

Driver arrested: deadly 5-vehicle crash on I-10 near Wild Horse Pass

local story huge backup two dead mom/driver arrested on suspicion of

(2) Counts of MURDER 2ND DEGREE
(1) Count of AGG DUI-PASSENGER UNDER 15
(9) Counts of ENDANGERMENT

Saturday 10/21/2017 evening around 9PM. I-10 near Wild Horse Pass Blvd, just south of Ahwatukee /Chandler.

Are we safe yet?
Would more enforcement help?
Would wrong-way freeway detection have prevented this tragedy?

Answers: No, Probably, and No.

Continue reading “Driver arrested: deadly 5-vehicle crash on I-10 near Wild Horse Pass”

PD: Driver hit SUV, killed bicyclist in Glendale before hitting police car

[update: 9/28/2017 — driver charged w/ 2nd degree murder]
Impaired drivers remain a serious threat to bicyclists. And pedestrians. And other drivers. And passengers.

9/22/2017 “just after midnight” Bicyclist (60-year-old Peter Rankin) killed incidentally when a suspected impaired, speeding driver (Kevin Richard Hevel, 30) sideswiped another vehicle; jumped the curb onto the sidewalk where he struck and killed the bicyclist, kept going (of course) and continued on to rear-end a Glendale police cruiser. Near 59th and Glendale Ave, in Glendale, AZ. Continue reading “PD: Driver hit SUV, killed bicyclist in Glendale before hitting police car”

More Wrong-way freeway driving; can detection help?

Some recent news items. Also, be sure to check out the “cold medicine” guy from a few days ago…

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

6/6/2017 double-fatality ~8PM, began driving around airport, including through parking structures the wrong way and breaking through the arm/gate: Wrong way driver 56-year-old Ronald Wayne Mollenhauer killed another driver, Young Lee on a transition ramp between I-10 and SR51. A third driver was injured. Given the ww driver is dead, you probably won’t hear much about this again. Was he impaired by drugs or alcohol, or some other impairment? Most ww drivers are. We’ll have to wait for FARS to find out which will report any chemical testing results. Continue reading “More Wrong-way freeway driving; can detection help?”

3 Dead in Wrong Way Wreck I-17 Phoenix

4/14/2017 ~ 2am. A male wrong-way driver collided headon on the I-17 freeway near Greenway in Phoenix with a vehicle carrying two sisters. All are dead.

The wrong way driver had been traveling for (at least) several miles the wrong way. Continue reading “3 Dead in Wrong Way Wreck I-17 Phoenix”

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?”

Hit and run suspect still on the loose after 2006 fatality

UPDATE: Suspect Arrested Nov 2019, see below…

Suspect Christopher Flores, pictured in 2006

Mother wants justice for son killed while bicycling
Updated: Mar 10, 2015 11:56 PM

By Erin Kennedy
PHOENIX – A Valley mother is hoping to make some progress in a cold case involving the death of her son.

It was seven years ago this week that Bonnie Wedo’s oldest son, Jason, 29, was hit by a car and killed while riding his bike to a friend’s house to help them move.
Continue reading “Hit and run suspect still on the loose after 2006 fatality”