On Friday afternoon in Tucson, a high-speed crash at East Valencia Road and South Country Club split a Toyota Camry in half, killing the 3-year-old riding in the back seat. The child's pregnant mother was seriously injured and taken to the hospital. Police say two drivers in what appears to have been a street race have been arrested and now face murder-related charges.
Christian Isaiah Randall, 22, was arrested and later booked into the Pima County jail on suspicion of second-degree murder, two counts of endangerment and two counts of aggravated assault, with bond set at $500,000, according to the Arizona Daily Star. Police say a 16-year-old boy who drove the other speeding car was also taken into custody and booked into the Pima County Juvenile Detention Center, the paper reports.
Investigators say data downloaded from Randall’s Hyundai Genesis showed speeds topping about 87 miles per hour in the seconds before impact, nearly double the posted 45 mph limit, and that the Genesis slammed into the Camry as it made a left turn, splitting the victim’s vehicle, per 13 News / KOLD. Police said surveillance footage captured two cars racing east on Valencia, and that the second vehicle, described as a Dodge Charger, initially fled the scene.
The child was identified by family members on a GoFundMe page as Anna. The family says she was properly restrained in a car seat but did not survive. The GoFundMe and interviews with relatives, who say Anna’s mother was about nine months pregnant at the time, are reported by AZFamily, which also says the fundraiser had raised nearly $88,000 by Monday evening.
Police and prosecutors step up enforcement
The Tucson Police Department has deployed extra traffic and motor officers along Valencia and at other hotspots in the wake of the crash, and Pima County Attorney Laura Conover has warned that prosecutors will hold reckless drivers to account. In a statement to 13 News / KOLD, Conover said, “if you choose excessive speed ... you will be held to account for the harm you cause, including homicide.”
What the charges mean
Authorities charged both drivers with second-degree murder, a Class 1 felony under Arizona law, along with endangerment and aggravated assault. Second-degree murder can apply when someone knowingly or recklessly causes a death and carries long prison terms and enhanced sentencing rules for certain victims, according to the Arizona code. For the statutory text and a legal explanation, see Justia.
The 22-year-old is being held at the Pima County Adult Detention Complex and the 16-year-old was booked into the juvenile detention center, and both cases will be prosecuted by local authorities. Anyone with information is asked to call Tucson Police or the anonymous tip line at 88-CRIME, the Arizona Daily Star reports.
