APACHE JUNCTION, Ariz. — A reckless crash left two young kids without a mother.
Elizabeth McAloon, 28, and her seven-year-old daughter were driving home from church on the US 60 in Apache Junction on Saturday, January 20, around 9:30 p.m. Prosecutors said Adam Parker, 38, was driving in the wrong direction on US 60 with a blood alcohol content three times the legal limit when he crashed into McAloon. The impact killed the young mother and seriously injured her daughter.
Parker, who is from Peoria, pleaded guilty to second-degree murder, a Class 1 Felony; and aggravated assault, a Class 2 Felony.
On Friday, a Pinal County Judge sentenced Parker to 20 years in prison after hearing emotional testimony from McAloon's family including her mom, Kimberly Surette. She was on the East Coast when she got the call that her daughter had died.
“I constantly think about how my daughter died alone without me by her side," said Surette. "I no longer look at life the same way. My goals and desires are gone and I am empty.”
McAloon's sister, cousins and aunts also spoke about the love and admiration they shared for McAloon. They asked the judge to give Parker the maximum sentence.
“It was not a mistake, nor an accident but a choice that has torn our family’s lives apart forever,” said the victim's aunt Stephanie Chandler.
Parker agreed.
“This guilt will forever haunt me and I will spend the rest of my life trying to find a way to pay my repentance," Parker said. "From the bottom of my heart, I’m truly sorry.”
Deaths on Arizona roads
Data from the Arizona Department of Transportation shows that roadway fatalities have been gradually rising in Arizona over the last decade:
2011: 825 deaths
2012: 821 deaths
2013: 844 deaths
2014: 774 deaths
2015: 895 deaths
2016: 952 deaths
2017: 1,000 deaths
2018: 1,010 deaths
2019: 982 deaths
2020: 1,057 deaths
ADOT offers driving tips on its website to help keep people safe on the road.
"There’s always room for improvement when it comes to road safety," the department said on its website.
ADOT's suggestions include:
Don’t speed or drive aggressively
Never drive while under the influence of substances
Avoid distractions while driving
Wear your seatbelt and make sure all passengers are doing the same
When an emergency vehicle is on the side of the road, move over
Stay extra aware in work zones
Be prepared for weather conditions that make driving dangerous
"Real-time highway conditions are available on ADOT’s Arizona Traveler Information site at az511.gov, by calling 511, downloading the AZ 511 app and through ADOT’s Twitter feed, @ArizonaDOT," the department said.
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