A Peoria man faces charges of second-degree murder following a gruesome wrong-way crash that killed a 28-year-old woman and seriously injured her young daughter, officials said. Adam Parker, 37, was indicted by a grand jury, after the January 20 incident on US 60 near Apache Junction, as reported by FOX 10 Phoenix.
Elizabeth McAloon was driving on US 60 with her 7-year-old daughter when her SUV was hit head-on by Parker's truck. The crash occurred around 9:30 p.m. following reports of the truck driving the wrong way. McAloon sustained lethal injuries and was pronounced dead at the hospital, her daughter survived with serious, injuries.
Authorities disclosed that Parker's blood-alcohol content exceeded 0.23. Following his release from the hospital, where he was treated for serious injuries, Parker was arrested and booked into jail. The Pinal County Attorney's Office, citing court documents, noted the severity of Parker's alleged impairment in the crash, according to FOX 10 Phoenix reporting.
"This incident shows a tragic and real-life consequence of driving impaired," Pinal County Attorney Kent Volkmer said, "Our thoughts are with the victim's family and especially the young child who is now without her mother." Parker now faces criminal charges that include second-degree murder and aggravated assault. A secured appearance bond was set at $250,000 for Parker, after his arraignment which took place on Friday.
Meanwhile, the continuum of sorrow unfolds, as the Arizona Department of Public Safety reported that the victim's daughter remains hospitalized, and the collective heart of a community is surely weighed by a mix of grief and gravity over the senseless loss, wrought by decisions marred by the alleged effects of intoxication, as detailed in an earlier article by FOX 10 Phoenix.
