PHOENIX — A 59-year-old man has been charged with second-degree murder and aggravated assault after a wrong-way crash that killed a 10-year-old girl and left her mother critically injured, Phoenix police said.
Richard Blackstar was driving a black truck the wrong way on Washington Street near 16th and 18th streets around 11 a.m. Wednesday when it struck a silver passenger car, according to police and reports from KTAR and Arizona’s Family.
The car’s occupants — 34-year-old Frankeesue Palazzo and the 10-year-old girl — were taken to a hospital with life-threatening injuries. The girl died Thursday. Palazzo remained in critical condition in later updates.
Investigators said Blackstar was evaluated at a hospital for non-life-threatening injuries and was believed to be impaired. Court and news accounts later described alcohol involvement, including a reported blood-alcohol level well above the legal limit.
Wrong-way crashes remain a recurring danger on Phoenix-area surface streets and freeways. Police urged drivers to report wrong-way vehicles immediately and to pull over safely if they encounter one.
Sources: KTAR, Arizona’s Family, ABC15. Thee Arizona Times uses AI-assisted reporting reviewed against the sources listed.
Photo: Alan Stark / CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons.
