A pre-dawn red-light run turned deadly at a Phoenix intersection early Saturday when a pickup truck barreled into a car and shoved it into a parked semi, killing the driver and badly injuring her passenger at 28th Drive and Cactus Road.
Emergency crews pronounced the woman driving the car dead at the scene, and a passenger was rushed to a hospital with life-threatening injuries. As reported by Arizona's Family, the crash unfolded in the early morning darkness and drew a heavy emergency response, with video showing firefighters and officers working around mangled vehicles in the intersection.
Crash details and arrest
According to ABC15, Phoenix police say the collision happened around 1:15 a.m. when a red pickup ran a red light and slammed into a black Nissan Versa, pushing it into a stopped semi-truck. The driver of the Versa, 34-year-old Trista Jaquez, was pronounced dead at the scene. Her passenger, a 23-year-old woman, was taken to the hospital with life-threatening injuries.
Officers arrested 26-year-old Randall Nelson, the driver of the pickup, and booked him on charges that include negligent homicide, endangerment and aggravated assault. Court records cited by ABC15 state that Nelson admitted to drinking before the crash.
What the charges mean
Negligent homicide in Arizona is defined under A.R.S. §13-1102 as causing a death through "criminal negligence" and is classified as a Class 4 felony under state law. For the statutory language, see A.R.S. §13-1102. Aggravated assault and endangerment are separate offenses that carry their own penalties.
Investigation and next steps
Phoenix police say the investigation is still active and that the case will be reviewed by prosecutors, according to reporting by ABC15. Detectives are asking anyone who may have witnessed the crash or who has dash-cam video from the area to contact the department’s traffic investigations unit.
