Man faces murder charge after fatal crash on Ajo Highway
By News 4 Tucson
Click here for updates on this story
PIMA COUNTY, Arizona (KVOA) — A driver is facing charges of second-degree murder and DUI following a chain-reaction crash that left a passenger dead on Sunday.
The multi-vehicle crash occurred on Nov. 8 on Ajo Highway. According to the Arizona Department of Public Safety, a red Chevy Silverado rear-ended a white Chevy S-10 towing a homemade trailer at about 6:23 p.m. near milepost 154, close to Sierrita Mountain Road.
The force of the impact pushed the S-10 and its trailer into the eastbound lanes, where an oncoming white Chevy Avalanche hit them. AZDPS said the Avalanche carried four people, none of whom were wearing seatbelts. The front-seat passenger, 40-year-old Ashley Jones, died at the scene from her injuries.
Ronald Widener, 68, is facing charges of second-degree murder and DUI following a chain-reaction crash on Sunday that left 40-year-old Ashley Jones, a front-seat passenger in another vehicle, dead.
A fourth vehicle, a white Ford F-250, then hit the detached trailer, causing significant damage to that truck.
Troopers arrested the driver of the Silverado, 68-year-old Ronald Widener, and booked him into the Pima County jail on one count of second-degree murder. Investigators determined that impairment was a factor in the fatal crash.
Court documents show Widener walked toward troopers after the crash, slurring his speech and stating he rear-ended “something” but did not know what.
A trooper had to stop standardized field sobriety tests for Widener’s safety because he almost fell over multiple times, according to court documents. A drug recognition expert performed additional tests, and a post-arrest oral fluid test returned positive results for methamphetamine, cannabis and amphetamine. The expert concluded Widener was under the influence of central nervous system depressants, stimulants, cannabis, and narcotic analgesics, court documents revealed.
Dash camera footage recovered from the scene confirmed Widener rear-ended the truck and trailer, pushing it into oncoming traffic. The crash forced emergency crews to close both directions of Ajo Highway for about eight hours.
The suspect is being held on a $500,000 bond.
Please note: This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate and does not contain original CNN reporting. This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.