PHOENIX — A suspect was reportedly under the influence of drugs, including methamphetamine, when he was arrested on Saturday after allegedly driving a U-Haul truck into a bus stop where a man was standing and killing him, authorities said.
Officers from the Phoenix Police Department said Javier Saavedra, 64, was pronounced dead on the scene near 16th Street and Southern Avenue after 24-year-old Brandon Seymour was observed to be under the influence.
Police said Seymour was driving the U-Haul and veered left at the intersection and struck the curb three times, driving on the sidewalk. The U-Haul rammed into a bus stop bench and then into a metal power pole where it came to a final rest.
Officials said part of the bench broke off from the collision and hit Saavedra, who was walking near the bus stop, projecting him into the road where he was found dead.
Seymour admitted to using meth before driving and thought someone jumped in front of the truck, causing him to swerve and lose control.
Authorities searched the U-Haul and found multiple substances including meth and fentanyl in powdered form.
Seymour was later booked into the Maricopa County Jail.
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