Wrongful Death Archives

2 dead in Arizona auto accident

A rollover SUV accident in Tucson has claimed the lives of two Phoenix residents, according to KVOA.com. The single car crash occurred on Sunday, May 15 on Interstate 19 around 10 miles south of the city. Arizona Department of Public Safety officials are stating that just after 1 PM the driver of a Ford Explorer lost control, drove onto a median and rolled over.

Two passengers, a 53-year-old man a 62-year-old woman died in the accident. The 25-year-old driver and a 51-year-old passenger were also injured, but it was not reported if they were hospitalized.

All of the occupants in the vehicle were from Phoenix. DPS officials also stated that everyone was wearing their seatbelts and that the investigation is ongoing.

It has not been reported if an Arizona personal injury lawyer is involved in the case.

Deadly Phoenix pedestrian accident leads to felony charges

by Dave Abels

An Arizona car vs. pedestrian accident in July, 2010 has left one person dead and another facing a potential prison sentence, according to AZCentral.com.

The driver accused of causing the accident is a 29-year-old Phoenix man who allegedly lost control of a Cadillac last summer, crashing it into a crowd of pedestrians crossing the street. One of the five injured was killed in the accident that took place near Bell Road, west of Arizona 51. The at fault motorist reportedly left the scene of the Phoenix accident without checking on any of the accident victims, in violation of Arizona law.

Arizona law mandates that any driver of a vehicle involved in an accident that results in injury to or death of a person must stop the car at the scene of the crash and remain at the scene until cleared by officials to leave. A driver who fails to meet these requirements and also caused the crash is guilty of a Class 3 felony.

Witnesses reported seeing the Cadillac speeding down Bell Road around 36th Street where the driver appeared to lose control. After running down a group of pedestrians crossing the street, the car stopped and several occupants of the vehicle fled in different directions.

The Cadillac passengers later turned themselves in to the police, but the driver failed to do so and was later arrested at his girlfriend’s house. He faces several charges, including leaving the scene of the accident. He could face up to 10 years in prison when his case goes to trial in March.

Cases like this usually involve a civil claim in addition to the pending criminal charges. It has not been reported if the pedestrian victim’s family has retained a Phoenix personal injury attorney or if a civil lawsuit has been filed.

Phoenix hit-and-run bicycle accident – suspect arrested

by Dave Abels

An Arizona bike accident that occurred on Sunday, November 14th around 4:30 AM has resulted in the death of the 53-year-old man, according to Fox news. A 54-year-old female motorist who hit the bicycle rider and then fled the scene has been arrested by the Phoenix Police Department.

The accident occurred in the area of 48th St. and Van Buren when the driver hit a bicyclist moving westbound. The driver was traveling in a 2003 Chevrolet Cavalier and she attempted to flee the scene after the accident. Police officers were able to apprehend her within blocks of the accident scene and they now believe she was driving while impaired.

The bicyclist died at the scene.

The driver was arrested and charged with manslaughter and leaving the scene of an accident causing death. Additional charges reportedly could be made after toxicology reports are reviewed.

Read the story as reported by CBS news and ABC news here.

There is no word as to whether a Phoenix bike accident lawyer is involved in the case yet. Click here to read more about Arizona hit-and-run claims.

Arizona man killed in pedestrian accident

by Dave Abels

An Arizona resident has been struck and killed in a pedestrian accident that occurred in Green Bay, Wisconsin, according to azfamily.com. The victim, who was a resident of Avondale, Arizona was accidentally struck and killed by his girlfriend who was driving while intoxicated.

The deadly accident occurred last Friday around 11 PM. The victim had been unemployed for several months and was staying with his girlfriend Wisconsin.

The couple had been out drinking at a local bar before the accident when they reportedly got into an argument. The Arizona man decided to walk home and then his girlfriend got into her car to go find him. She then accidentally ran him over around three blocks from the tavern. She got out of her car to try to help when she realized that she had struck him. She tried performing CPR.

During the police investigation it was discovered that the woman had a blood-alcohol level of over twice the Wisconsin legal limit of 0.08. She now faces charges that include homicide by intoxicated use of a motor vehicle, which is a felony in Wisconsin.

It is not been reported if a Wisconsin or Arizona injury lawyer is involved in the case yet. Here, the attorney representing the family of the victim will look to pursue a wrongful death claim against the at fault driver. Further, the lawyer may also look into whether the local tavern served the driver too much alcohol before she got into her car and drove off.

While this accident happened Wisconsin, click here to read more about Arizona dramshop claims.

Detention officer arrested for role in fatal Arizona motorcycle accident

by Dave Abels

A Maricopa County Sheriff’s employee was taken into custody on Friday by the Goodyear Police Department for his involvement in a Phoenix area car vs. motorcycle crash that killed a woman, according to the Arizona Republic. We previously reported on our Phoenix injury lawyer blog that the collision occurred on October 16 at around 12:30 AM at Indian School and Citrus Roads in Goodyear. The 27-year-old detention officer was driving his Chevy Cobalt when he rear-ended a woman that was stopped at a stop sign on a 2009 Ducati motorcycle.

The motorcycle rider was thrown from her bike and reportedly died instantly. Her foot was also severed in the collision. The victim was riding with her husband next to her at the time of the accident. He was not injured.

The at fault driver reportedly admitted to police that he had been drinking throughout the day and that he felt “buzzed” when he left a tavern shortly before the accident. Goodyear police officers claim he had bloodshot and watery eyes, slurred speech and smelled of alcohol. A hospital blood test taken around 2 AM show the defendant had a BAC of 0.225%. A subsequent test taken around 4 AM by police showed a 0.14% blood-alcohol level. Both test results are well above the legal limit.

The defendant surrendered to police on Friday at his attorney’s office in Phoenix. The defendant reportedly works at the 4th Avenue Jail as a corrections officer.

There is no word as to whether Arizona motorcycle accident attorneys are involved in the case yet. When injury lawyers do get involved, they will pursue a claim against the intoxicated driver, however they will also look into a possible claim against the tavern that may have served the defendant too much alcohol. Click here to read about Arizona dram shop claims.

Arizona wrong-way driver causes deadly accident in Mesa

by Dave Abels

A woman has been killed in a Mesa car crash that was caused by a motorist going the wrong way on the Loop 202, according to azcentral.com. This is the second wrong way accident on a Phoenix area highway this past week.

A spokesman from the Mesa Police Department is stating that the crash involved a police chase. Two detectives observed a vehicle pass them going well over 100 mph on US 60 around 11 PM on Wednesday. Police were not initially following the suspect and they do not know why he was traveling at such an excessive rate of speed.

The speeding driver was in a Jeep Grand Cherokee headed eastbound. Police officers tried pursue the Jeep, but then slowed down and called in a police helicopter. Police vehicles reportedly stayed a half mile in back of the suspect to try to avoid unnecessary danger to the public.

The driver of the Jeep blew through traffic lights as it sped through parts of Mesa. Officers tried to stop the vehicle at the intersection of Power and Brown Roads by blocking the intersection with police cars, however the driver got around them by driving through landscaping.

The police also tried using stop sticks at Hermosa Vista Drive and Gilbert Road, but the speeder was able to avoid capture again and got onto the Loop 202 heading east in the westbound lanes.

The Jeep then struck a car head-on, killing its 36-year-old female driver. The driver of the Jeep is facing manslaughter charges, and additional charges are expected to be filed.

Phoenix auto accident lawyers at our office reported just a few days ago that a teenage driver on the Loop 101 caused an accident by driving the wrong way. Three people were injured and hospitalized in that accident.

Phoenix motorcycle crash kills rider

by Dave Abels

An Arizona motorcyclist has died in an accident that occurred in the North Valley on Tuesday, according to ABC news. The Phoenix bike crash took place at Union Hills Drive and 28th St. in the late afternoon, which is a stop light intersection in a residential area.

It is being reported that the accident occurred when a female driver of a car made a left turn into the path of the motorcycle. The woman later told police she did not see the motorcyclist approaching.

When the vehicles collided the gas tank on the motorcycle punctured and burst into flames, burning both the bike and the car. The Arizona Republic is reporting that the motorcyclist was thrown around 30 feet and sustained severe chest injuries.

The motorcycle rider, age 26, was rushed by ambulance to John C. Lincoln Hospital in critical condition and died a short time later. The driver of the car only suffered minor injuries.

The Phoenix Police Department is handling the motorcycle crash investigation. They do not believe the left turning driver was impaired. The intersection had to be closed for several hours.

It has not been reported if a Phoenix personal injury lawyer is involved in the case yet. There will most likely be a civil claim pursued in this matter, as drivers in the state of Arizona have a duty to yield to oncoming traffic when making a left turn.

Teenage driver causes fatal Arizona bicycle accident

by Dave Abels

On Tuesday night a deadly Mesa bike accident claimed the life of 11-year-old girl, according to azfamily.com. The accident took place around 6 PM at the intersection of Brown Road and Lindsay Road.

A 16-year-old driver of the pickup truck was reportedly passing a vehicle in front of him, and he failed to observe the bicyclist and struck her. The 11-year-old victim was out for bicycle ride with her family at the time of the accident. The name of the girl has not been released.

The Mesa Police Department is handling the accident investigation. No charges have yet been filed, and it appears that drugs or alcohol did not play a role in the accident.

As the weather cools off in the Phoenix area, more and more bicyclists will be on the streets. Arizona drivers have to diligently lookout for bikes on the roadway, especially children.

ADOT reports that in the year 2008 there were nearly 2000 bicycle accidents in our state. In those accidents,113 children between the ages of 10 – 14 were injured, and two were killed. Statistics for 2009 have not yet been released.

Arizona woman killed in rear-end motorcycle accident

by Dave Abels

An Arizona car versus motorcycle accident has resulted in the death of a woman from Buckeye, according to azcentral.com. The motorcycle crash occurred Saturday morning in Goodyear.

At the time of the collision, the victim and her husband were both riding on two motorcycles. They stopped for stop sign at the intersection of Indian School Road and Citrus Road at around 12:30 AM. While stopped, the driver of a Chevy Cobalt rear-ended the victim’s motorcycle.

The woman’s name has not been reported, and her husband was not injured in the accident.

Investigating Goodyear police officers believe the at fault driver may have been drinking, and their investigation is ongoing.

Whether a Phoenix area personal injury law firm is involved in the case yet has not been reported.

In other bike crash news, the Arizona Republic is reporting that an All-Arizona senior linebacker from Mesa was injured last week in an accident. The 6 foot three, 215 pound player reportedly suffered bad road rash. What caused the motorcycle accident has not been reported.

According to ADOT, in 2008 alone there were over 3,500 motorcycle accidents in Arizona. 140 motorcyclists died and over 3,000 were hurt in those collisions. 70% of those accidents took place in urban centers such as Glendale and Mesa.

2 killed in Arizona bus accident

by Dave Abels

An Arizona bus crash has resulted in the death of two people in serious injuries to several others, according to CNN. The accident occurred in Kingman, Arizona which is part of Mohave County.

It was a single vehicle bus crash that took place just after 8 AM on Sunday. A commercial tour bus reportedly drove off the road and rolled over several times on Pierce Ferry Road near milepost 23, according to NBC news. There were a total of 11 passengers and the driver on board.

Two of the bus passengers died at the accident site, and several other passengers were seriously injured and either helicoptered or taken by ambulance to to area hospitals. Some were taken to Kingman Regional Medical Center. The bus may have been carrying a group of Chinese tourists. The tour bus was traveling from Las Vegas to the Grand Canyon.

The bus driver is said to incurred minor injuries and is cooperating with investigating officers. The Mohave County Sheriff’s Department is handling the crash investigation. No reason has yet been given as to why the bus drove off the highway.

It is not been reported if there are any Arizona injury attorneys involved in the case.

Fox news in Arizona is reporting that there is been two other fatal bus crashes in this region over the past two years. One bus crash in January of 2009 killed seven people and injured 10 others. A bus traveling with Chinese tourists coming from the Grand Canyon were in an accident on US 93.

Then in August, 2010 a bus crash on Interstate 15 in southwestern Utah resulted in the death of three Japanese tourists. The bus was doing a four-day national Park tour that included the Grand Canyon.