Jury selection was scheduled for Tuesday morning in the Tucson trial of Michael Creel, the man accused of running a stop sign while drunk and slamming into the car of Arizona State Senate candidate John McLean, killing him in November 2024. Creel faces second-degree murder, aggravated DUI and criminal-damage charges, and opening statements were set to follow jury selection.
According to KGUN 9, Creel is accused of running the stop sign and hitting McLean's vehicle in the November 2024 crash, causing the fatal injuries. Court documents cited by the station say Creel's breathalyzer results came back at 1.8 times the legal limit, and he was already on probation for an earlier DUI at the time of the crash. He was later freed on a $200,000 bond while the case moved through pretrial proceedings.
Court documents reported by KGUN 9 said investigators found Creel driving over 70 miles per hour in a 35-mph zone, though a separate KGUN 9 report put the figure at about 74 miles per hour in a 35-mph zone. Later coverage of trial testimony from KVOA described prosecutors saying Creel traveled 78.8 mph in a 25-mph zone before running the stop sign. The dossier does not reconcile these differing figures, and this article does not attempt to pick one over the others.
A Political Campaign Cut Short
McLean had lost his bid for the Arizona State Senate the week before the crash and had conceded the race the night before the collision, according to a filing in State of Arizona v. Michael Martin Creel. Former state Sen. Vince Leach had won the 17th Legislative District race by a 2% margin, according to the Arizona Mirror.
Creel rejected a plea agreement for a lighter sentence in 2025 and committed to a jury trial instead, per the KGUN 9 report. His legal team had also sought to disqualify the Pima County Attorney's Office from prosecuting the case, but the Arizona Court of Appeals rejected that effort, ruling that vicarious disqualification was improper on the record presented and granting relief to the state, according to the court filing.
What Comes Next in the Courtroom
Later coverage from KVOA reported that opening statements had begun in the case, with the trial expected to last a couple of weeks. That report indicated detectives, a DUI officer and Motor Vehicle Division representatives were expected to testify as the proceedings unfold.
