A 20-year-old woman's life was tragically cut short after she was hit head-on by a wrong-way driver in Gilbert, who, police say, was driving under the influence. The devastating crash occurred around 2 a.m. near Williams Field and Recker Roads on April 18, according to FOX 10 Phoenix.
Preliminary reports from Gilbert Police indicate the suspected drunk driver, 23-year-old Harrison Ward, was traveling eastbound in the westbound lanes at what appeared to be an excessive speed. Colliding head-on into a four-door car, the young woman, identified as Anastasia Dombrowski, was declared dead at the scene by the responding officers.
Evidence of intoxication was found on the scene as Ward's blood-alcohol content (BAC) measured .275 at the hospital, more than three times the legal limit, according to azfamily.com. At the hospital, he informed the police he had been consuming double rum and cokes at a Top Golf in Gilbert. Court documents reveal he initially claimed to be only traveling at 45 mph.
The aftermath of the impact was severe, with Ward's truck housing four 24 oz. Steel Reserve beer cans in the back seat and ultimately crashing into a median light pole before stopping. While en route to the traffic mayhem, placed in a seat that should have been his safe return home, Ward veered right after striking the passenger car. His truck kept traveling east before coming to rest just east of the intersection at Recker Road, as further described by the police report from FOX 10 Phoenix.
Despite Ward's earlier statements, court documents and speed calculations show that he likely hit Dombrowski's car while cruising at least 75 mph in a 35 mph zone. Witnesses and surveillance footage also supported the claim that Ward was, indeed, driving in the wrong direction prior to the fatal crash.
Currently held on charges, Ward faces one count of second-degree murder and one count of aggravated DUI. His recklessness has sparked grief and outrage among those who knew the victim, with the community mourning the loss of such a young life taken so suddenly and unnecessarily.
