PHOENIX — A man walking on a north Phoenix sidewalk was killed Sunday evening when a driver who police believe was having a medical emergency lost control and left the road.
Officers were called around 6:15 p.m. to a serious crash near 23rd Avenue and Williams Drive, the Phoenix Police Department said, according to KTAR. Arizona’s Family described the location as near 23rd Avenue and Pinnacle Peak Road.
What police say happened
Based on preliminary information, police believe the vehicle was traveling north when the driver had a medical episode. The vehicle drifted out of its lane, crossed the southbound lanes and went up onto the sidewalk, where it struck a 47-year-old man.
The man was dragged a short distance before the vehicle hit the side of a nearby building and came to rest in landscaping, police said. Phoenix Fire Department crews took him to a hospital, where he died. The driver was also hospitalized for treatment related to the medical event.
Police said they do not believe alcohol, drugs or other impairment played a role. Neither the pedestrian nor the driver had been identified as of Monday afternoon. Detectives with the department’s Vehicular Crimes Unit have taken over the investigation, which remains open.
When health and driving collide
Crashes caused by sudden medical events, such as seizures, fainting or cardiac problems, are generally treated differently from those involving impairment or recklessness, and investigators will typically look at the driver’s medical history and what happened in the moments before the crash.
Arizona’s Motor Vehicle Division runs a medical review program that allows doctors, law enforcement and concerned family members to ask the state to evaluate whether a driver’s medical condition affects their ability to drive safely. Information is available at azdot.gov.
Thee Arizona Times will update this story if police release the names of those involved or more details from the investigation.
Photo: Minh Nguyen via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0). Generic file photo of a pedestrian signal in Tucson; not the crash scene.