Elderly Pedestrian Succumbs to Wounds After Impaired Motorist Flees Phoenix Crash

A 72-year-old grandmother died weeks after a hit-and-run collision caused by an unlicensed driver who had been drinking.

Elderly Pedestrian Succumbs to Wounds After Impaired Motorist Flees Phoenix Crash

A grandmother in her seventies has died from injuries caused by an intoxicated motorist who struck her at a crosswalk and then abandoned her in the roadway.

Sherry Hinojosa, 72, passed away in early June, roughly seven weeks after the April 19 incident. That evening at about 7:15 p.m., she had been walking toward public transit near her senior housing complex when a vehicle hit her.

The person at the wheel, a 24-year-old male possessing no driving credentials, later told police he had downed multiple beers before departing. He stated he noticed someone walking across the road but insisted he could not stop in time.

Instead of pulling over to help the injured party, he accelerated onward. He later claimed panic drove his decision to bolt. Bystanders chased after him and eventually cornered his car at an intersection a few blocks down, preventing further escape.

When officers arrived, they picked up the scent of alcohol on him and remarked on how strangely tranquil he appeared. He was transported to a nearby station for intoxication testing. Formal complaints included dual liquor-related counts, evading the scene of a wreck, and piloting an automobile without a permit. Astonishingly, he was let go the same day.

Hinojosa suffered approximately two dozen and a half shattered bones plus cranial damage. She fought for survival for nearly two months before finally passing.

Joyce Pickens, a close acquaintance of the deceased, expressed fury over the suspect's liberty. "He left and just was going to just leave her there laying in the street to die," she stated. "Why isn't he behind bars? Why isn't he having to be accountable for what he's done to my friend? She's dead!"

Authorities in Phoenix have so far withheld the suspect's identity from public release.

Source: Law & Crime

Source: Law & Crime