A Maricopa County Sheriff’s deputy attempting to stop a speeding driver Saturday clipped another vehicle and caused it to crash, authorities said.
The incident happened near the intersection of Hunt Highway and Granite Reef Dam Road about 12:30 p.m., closing Hunt Highway for several hours for the investigation, said MCSO spokesman Doug Matteson.
The deputy struck the rear of a passerby’s vehicle causing the blue Ford truck to crash, Matteson said. Driver Anne Middents, 20, of Tempe was taken to a nearby hospital with minor injuries, Matteson said.
The deputy was not injured.
Middents vehicle was not speeding at the time the deputy was attempting to go after the speeding suspect.
According to official reports, the deputy was driving southbound on Hunt Highway and was passed by a car going over the speed limit in the northbound lane.
The deputy pulled over and attempted to perform a U-turn when he clipped the back of the truck that was driven by Middents in the southbound lane.
Hunt Highway was closed to allow deputies to conduct an investigation of the scene, Matteson said.
Close the highway for several hours to investigate? Investigate what?
A map showing this location would be nice!!
Closing down a major regional arterial road so as to “investigate” before the lawsuits fly…
Too bad that same amount of time and resources wasn’t invested in this Officer’s Drivers Training. Perhaps that training should require the use of the participating Officers personal cars ( instead of an empty road course ), so that a stronger sense of responsibility for ALL of the surrounding public while on the road.
Obviously this officer needs more training to worry about chasing someone in the opposite direction for a speeding offense placing himself and others at risk for a minor traffic offense.
He should be sent for retraining and hopefully from this incident he will learn that speeders aren’t a big deal.
If he let that one go he will surely find another in a few seconds.
Chases for minor traffic offenses isn’t worth it….trust me I know!
It sure is easy to be an armchair quarterback. Let’s have all the facts first. Not just a “NEWS STORY”.
SHERIFF “JOE” needs to worry about “Drivers Training” not “Brown People”
just another cop doing what he or she wants too. the other driver should just be glad the cop did not shoot him.but you can bet the cop want be charged with anything. just remember 98% of all cops are no good.
Close the highway for several hours to investigate? Investigate what?
well goes to show you cops think they know everything, and well he must have egg on his face, hope the city or the cop pays for the damage in a timely matter, and they send him back in for training, for all we know there could of been a kid in the car, good job officer
Might try naming the roads right.
The accident occured on the BUSH highway at Granite Reef Dam Road, and not on the HUNT highway.
Only a 45 mle difference in location.
No wonder some people wanted a map showing where it happened.