27-02-2025
Report on fatal crash involving a Goodyear police car says it's unclear if sirens were on
A newly released police report has said it's unclear whether a Goodyear police vehicle had its emergency sirens activated when a motorcyclist fatally crashed into it in October 2024.
According to a report obtained by The Arizona Republic via a public records request, officers Scott Preston and Angel Pereida were responding to a report of an assault on Oct. 22, 2024 when 38-year-old Jacob Vela crashed his Harley Davidson FXST motorcycle into their Chevrolet Tahoe.
The two officers were at the intersection of Fillmore Street and Estrella Parkway and attempting to make a left turn against a red light onto the latter when Vela, who was driving north on Estrella Parkway, suddenly braked, causing the motorcycle to skid onto its side.
Documents say Vela, who was driving 60 mph in a 45 mph zone and wasn't wearing a helmet, separated from the motorcycle and laid partially underneath the Tahoe while the motorcycle crashed into the Tahoe's front left tire.
Documents said a woman jumped out of her vehicle and immediately began performing CPR on Vela before he was taken to Abrazo West Trauma Center where he was pronounced dead.
An autopsy by the Maricopa County medical examiner found Vela had suffered a dislocation at the top of his spine, multiple rib fractures and other internal injuries that contributed to his death.
The agency listed Vela's manner of death as an accident.
Preston, who was driving the Tahoe, suffered a broken finger from the collision and was treated at a hospital while Pereida was uninjured.
The Goodyear Police Department posted a traffic alert on their Facebook page following the crash, letting the public know about traffic closures at the intersection. Some commented on the post criticizing the department, alleging it was hiding facts about the incident.
While documents said the Tahoe had its emergency lights turned on, it was unclear whether the siren was activated as well.
Documents show multiple witnesses told police they heard a loud 'bang' when the collision occurred but gave conflicting reports about whether they heard a siren.
One man told police he saw the emergency lights and but no siren, which he said he would have noticed as he had his radio turned off, while a woman said she was sure she heard a siren as it was the reason she stopped her vehicle.
Another woman told police she heard a siren, but described it as being two quick 'bleeps' rather than a long, sustained siren.
The report states that the Tahoe's emergency lights can be seen in body-camera video of the incident, but no siren is audible.
It also cites Arizona law, which states that authorized emergency vehicles can go through red lights and stop signs if they slow down 'as necessary for safe operation' and if the driver 'sounds an audible signal by bell, siren or exhaust whistle as reasonably necessary.'
The report notes that, while Vela may have been speeding, it wasn't considered excessive under the law as it was less than 20 mph over the limit.
It added that video evidence from nearby businesses that captured the crash showed Vela wouldn't have struck the Tahoe if he had been driving the speed limit as the Tahoe would have cleared the area where the collision occurred by the time Vela reached it.
The Maricopa County Sheriff's Office, which investigated the incident, recommended against submitting any criminal charges against Preston as it found the officer was acting in an official capacity and wasn't driving with a reckless disregard for safety when the fatal incident occurred.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Report: Goodyear crash video shows emergency lights, no audible siren
