COOLIDGE, Ariz. — A man who was "extremely" under the influence with alcohol has been arrested after officials said he crashed into a motorcyclist, killing the person.
Around 11 p.m. Saturday, the Pinal County Sheriff's Office said 35-year-old Christopher Proffer, was extremely impaired by alcohol while he was driving his pickup truck on State Route 87 and North Skousen Road.
Officials said Proffer made an "abrupt and reckless" U-turn in the intersection, striking and killing a motorcyclist. Proffer's truck then careened off the road striking a large metal power pole, causing the pole to fall into the roadway, deputies said.
Proffer sustained minor injuries. Authorities found Proffer's blood alcohol content to be .300+. The legal BAC limit in Arizona is .08%. He was booked into the Pinal County jail for second degree murder.
ADOT closed the road for several hours while the power company repaired the downed power lines.
"We would like to extend our sincere condolences to the family of the victim in this incident," said Sheriff Mark Lamb in a news release.
"Thanks to the VCTF (Vehicle Crimes Task Force) and the partnership we have with these agencies, specifically Coolidge PD in last night's case, we were able to swiftly and accurately process this vehicular crime scene. It is our duty to make sure those who carelessly take the life of another are brought to justice, and this task force helps us to achieve this."
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