PHOENIX — A 24-year-old man has been arrested for allegedly causing a car crash last December in north Phoenix that killed a former Phoenix police officer and his wife.
Joseph A. Welch was taken into custody on July 30 and is facing charges of manslaughter for his alleged involvement in a deadly car crash reported on Dec. 13, 2023.
Court records show Welch was allegedly speeding at 78 mph upon making impact with the victim's vehicle near 43rd and Dunlap avenues. Witnesses told police the driver was weaving "in and out" of the northbound lanes before hitting the other car.
Thomas Oviatt, 80, was driving the other car and his wife, 79-year-old Janette Oviatt, was a passenger. Both died from injuries sustained in the crash.
Family members later told 12News that Thomas Oviatt was a military veteran who spent 21 years working for the Phoenix Police Department.
"Everything he did was about helping people," Oviatt's son told 12News. "If you needed help, he wanted to help you. And being a police officer was a perfect avenue for that."
Welch was booked into the Maricopa County jail.
*Editor's Note: The above video is from an earlier broadcast.*
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