Fatal West Valley crash caused by man yanking steering wheel, police say
Jul 7, 2022, 11:47 AM | Updated: 11:50 am
Adrian Ballesteros (Maricopa County Sheriff's Office Photo)
(Maricopa County Sheriff's Office Photo)
PHOENIX – A West Valley man allegedly yanked the steering wheel of a moving vehicle to cause the crash that claimed the life of an 11-year-old girl on Wednesday, authorities said.
The girl was one of four occupants in a car struck by the pickup truck driven by 28-year-old Adrian Ballesteros’ girlfriend, the El Mirage Police Department said Thursday.
Police determined that Ballesteros and his girlfriend had been arguing before the crash. He allegedly pulled on the steering wheel during the argument, causing her to lose control of the truck.
Ballesteros, an El Mirage resident, was booked into jail on one count of manslaughter and five counts of endangerment.
The truck was heading south on El Mirage Road around 6:30 p.m. Wednesday when it crossed the median between Peoria and Olive avenues and collided with the car, police said.
The girl was ejected from the car and died after being taken to a hospital.
The car’s 53-year-old female driver and two other passengers, a 14-year-old girl and a 16-year-old girl, were hospitalized in stable condition.
The truck rolled over at least once after the impact, police said. Ballesteros and his girlfriend received minor injuries.
No other details were immediately available.
