SAN TAN VALLEY, Ariz. — A woman who drove drunk last year and caused a collision that killed two people in San Tan Valley has been sentenced to 21 years in prison, according to the Pinal County Attorney's Office.
Janelle Littlebear, 39, was sentenced last week in Pinal County Superior Court after pleading guilty to two counts of manslaughter for a car crash that took the lives of Richard Hanson, 78, and Kathleen Franta, 78.
The defendant was driving northbound on Gantzel Road on Aug. 13, 2022 when she veered over the dirt median and crashed into a southbound vehicle that had Hanson and Franta riding as occupants.
A blood test showed that Littlebear's blood alcohol content was 0.271, which is over three times the legal limit. Witnesses told investigators the defendant was also speeding prior to the crash.
Up to Speed
What is the Valley?:
“The Valley” is what locals call the Phoenix Metropolitan Area. It is considered the largest metropolitan area in the Southwest.
The Valley is made up of various major cities other than Phoenix, including:
- Mesa
- Chandler
- Scottsdale
- Tempe
- Glendale
- Surprise
- Peoria
- Gilbert
- El Mirage
- Avondale
- Litchfield Park
- Goodyear
- Buckeye
Whether a city is in the “East Valley” or “West Valley” depends on where it is in relation to Phoenix.
The cities of the Valley have a combined population of 4,845,832 people, according to the 2020 United States Census. This makes it the 11th largest metropolitan area in the country right behind the Boston and Atlanta areas.
How big is Maricopa County?:
Maricopa County is the United States’ 4th largest county in terms of population with 4,485,414 people, according to the 2020 Census.
The county contains around 63% of Arizona’s population and is 9,224 square miles. That makes the county larger than seven U.S. states (Rhode Island, Delaware, Connecticut, Hawaii, New Jersey, Massachusetts and New Hampshire).
One of the largest park systems in the nation is also located in Maricopa County. The county has an estimated 120,000 acres of open space parks that includes hundreds of miles of trails, nature centers and campgrounds.
The county’s seat is located in Phoenix, which is also the state capital and the census-designated 5th most populous city in the United States.
The county was named after the Maricopa, or Piipaash, Native American Tribe.