Weekend wrap-up: Here are the biggest Arizona stories from Dec. 20-22
Dec 22, 2019, 6:00 PM | Updated: 6:09 pm
(KTAR News Photo/Ali Vetnar)
(KTAR News Photo/Ali Vetnar)
The opening of the South Mountain Freeway, an Arizona state trooper who had to fight for his life against a violent suspect and an Arizona Rattlers player who was fatally shot in Phoenix.
Here are some stories that headlined the news cycle, both locally and nationally, over the weekend.
South Mountain Freeway opens after years of work
Arizona drivers have 22 new miles of freeway to traverse the Valley as the Loop 202 South Mountain freeway opened to traffic on Saturday afternoon.
The state’s largest-ever highway project, costing $1.7 billion, travels between Interstate 10 at the Loop 202 Santan Freeway in the East Valley and I-10 at 59th Avenue in the West Valley.
Three travel lanes and an HOV lane are available in each direction as the highway is projected to carry about 117,000 vehicles per day within the first year and as many as 190,000 vehicles per day by 2035, according to a press release.
DPS trooper survives ‘fight for his life’ by fatally shooting suspect in Tempe
An Arizona state trooper survived “a fight for his life” by fatally shooting a violent suspect late Thursday night in Tempe, authorities said Friday.
Trooper Hugh Grant encountered 25-year-old Ahmed E A Al-Hashemi acting erratically on Rural Road south of the Loop 202 around 11:50 p.m., Arizona Department of Public Safety Director Frank Milstead said at a press conference during which dashboard camera video was shown.
A citizen observer from Mothers Against Drunk Driving was with Grant on a ride-along during the incident.
The suspect, who had knocked a sign into the street, ignored instructions from Grant to get out of the road and continued making gestures and dancing around. Al-Hashemi also charged the trooper’s vehicle and kicked it.
Arizona Rattlers player Lance McDowdell fatally shot in Phoenix
An Arizona Rattlers player was found shot in a Phoenix driveway early Friday.
Sgt. Tommy Thompson said Lance McDowdell, 25, was found outside of an apartment complex near Thomas Road and 44th Street around 1:40 a.m.
Thompson said McDowdell was taken to a hospital, where he died from his injuries.
“At this time, detectives have very little to go on,” Thompson said.
Wrong-way driver dies Sunday in collision with light rail in Phoenix
A 30-year-old woman died after colliding with the light rail early Sunday morning, according to authorities.
Sgt. Tommy Thompson with the Phoenix Police Department said the crash occurred shortly after 2 a.m. at the intersection of 1st Avenue and Washington Street.
It is believed the woman, Tameka Talise Spence, was driving her 2014 Nissan Sentra eastbound on Washington Street, a one-way street that travels westbound, when the crash occurred. The impact of the collision knocked the light rail off the tracks. A signal light pole was also damaged in the crash.
‘Bruce and Pamela’ listeners named this the ‘Crazy AZ’ story of 2019
We asked you to give us this year’s craziest Arizona story, and you delivered.
KTAR News 92.3 FM’s Bruce St. James and Pamela Hughes Show listeners voted on eight stories throughout the week.
After four days of narrowing down the bracket, the winner was … “Arizona police arrest 70-year-old traveling with wife’s dead body.”
Array
