El Tour hit and run driver to move to assisted living center in Georgia
Several of you flagged this story from last week’s Arizona Daily Star about William Wilson, the man who hit and seriously injured several El Tour de Tucson riders, including Gary Stuebe, who is critically injured. Wilson has plead not guilty and has moved to an assisted living center in Georgia. He is 91 years old.
From the story:
In addition to entering a not guilty plea on Wilson’s behalf, Pima County hearing officer Roger Duncan took Wilson’s driver’s license away and gave him permission to move to Georgia, said David Berkman, chief criminal deputy Pima county attorney. Wilson will have to keep in touch with authorities until his case is resolved, Berkman said.
Wilson’s next court date is Feb. 24.
According to Pima County Sheriff’s Department officials, 60 bicyclists were heading west on Ina Road when Wilson, who was heading east, tried to turn north onto Westward Look Drive and collided with 10 of them.
Five cyclists were injured; their injuries ranged from stiffness and road rash to a life-threatening brain injury.
Wilson got out of his car to check the damage before getting back in and driving away, witnesses told authorities.
-Erik Ryberg
January 15th, 2009 at 7:56 am
I know of a state run assisted living center that’s a lot closer than Georgia. There are many branches around the state: one is on south wilmot and the home office is in Florence.
January 15th, 2009 at 11:18 am
Years ago I heard of an ADOT program (nicknamed “Stopping Miss Daisy”) where anyone who know an incompetent driver over a certain age could report them to ADOT and ADOT would call that driver in for a road test. I’ve written to ADOT to inquire about it.
I’m sure there is someone in William Wilson’s family who knew it was just a matter of time before he brought serious harm to himself or someone else. I remember when I was a teenager I worried about my reckless oblivious grandmother out there careening around, and sure enough, she did a hit and run with another car. She didn’t even know she’d been in an accident until she got home and saw the big dent in her car. It was a relief that she lost her license after that.
January 18th, 2009 at 12:09 pm
If anyone knows of any driver who may be a danger to themself or others, you can alert the DMV and they will call that person in for a driving test. Here’s the info I got from the DMV that tells how to do that:
They do not accept anonymous requests or reports. A request or report requires the licensee’s (the person whose driving abliity is under question) full name w/middle initial, date of birth, Arizona driver license number or Social Security number, mailing address, reason for the request or report and name and signature of the person alerting the DMV . The mailing address is MVD Medical Review Program, Mail Drop 818Z, Post Office Box 2100, Phoenix AZ 85001-2100.
If you know anyone like Mr Wilson, do us all a favor.
January 21st, 2009 at 7:24 pm
If the driver was a punk, with mohawk, tattoos, piercings, etc, he would never see the light of day.
I don’t care how old he is, throw his butt in Jail.
October 27th, 2010 at 1:13 pm
[...] Flo on the El Tour Driver: License revoked and now moved to Georgia in an assisted living facility? I can see the defense will get him off cuz he doesn’t know what’s going on. [...]