Police Chase Leads to Deadly Tucson Car Accident | Legal News | News Ticker

High-speed police chases create a situation of instant danger for anyone who happens to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. Even though officers are trained to use as much caution as possible, there is little if anything they can do to control the suspect they are chasing at the time. Tragically, an innocent man was killed yesterday when such a high-speed police chase caused a Tucson car accident. The fleeing suspect was eventually caught and detained, and he faces extremely serious criminal charges.

According to police, the latest fatal Tucson car accident occurred yesterday at approximately 7 a.m. Police stopped the driver of a Pontiac on westbound Interstate 10 near Picacho Peak. Suddenly, the suspect, identified as Joel O. Morando, 25, of Tucson, jumped back into his vehicle and attempted to flee the scene. As the chase continued, the suspect’s vehicle rear-ended a pickup truck being driven by Ronald W. Papanikolas, 31, of Magna, Utah on Interstate 10 close to the Avra Valley exit. The pickup truck driver was thrown from his vehicle and was killed as a result.

Arizona Car Accident Statistics

First and foremost, we’d like to offer our sincere condolences to the family and friends of the man who was killed. It appears he did nothing wrong and was caught up in the reckless if not depraved actions of the suspect. In addition, this fatal Tucson car accident will now become part of the overall statistics regarding Arizona car accidents. Every year, approximately 65,000 people are injured and another 1,000 people are killed as a result of the 140,000 crashes that occur on an annual basis.

Arizona Wrongful Death Lawyers

The suspect was arrested and faces charges of first degree murder, felony endangerment, criminal damage and transporting marijuana for sale. In addition, he could face a wrongful death lawsuit filed by the family of the man who was killed. If such a lawsuit is filed and is successful, it could bring a damages award that compensates the family for medical, funeral and burial costs as well as lost income and loss of companionship.

If you have lost someone you love as a result of a reckless driver, you need to seek the help of Arizona wrongful death lawyers who have been successfully fighting for the rights of grieving families for many years. Contact Phillips Law Group today to schedule a free initial consultation.