GOODYEAR, Ariz. — A Goodyear family is calling into question what police have told them and the public about what happened to their family member. Jacob Vela, 38, collided with a Goodyear Police cruiser on Tuesday as he was crossing the intersection of Estrella Parkway and Fillmore Street on his motorcycle.
The investigation into what happened is in the hands of the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office. They said two officers in the Goodyear cop car had their lights and sirens activated when they entered the intersection against a red light as they were responding to an assault in progress call.
Vela was traveling northbound and had a green light when he crossed the intersection, colliding with the front left side of the police cruiser. Vela suffered serious injuries and later died at a hospital.
A concerned Goodyear resident provided 12News with their dashcam footage of the crash. It does not appear that the police cruiser's lights and sirens were on as it entered the intersection.
“If they're telling the truth, they need to come out and show that," the victim's son, Jacob Vela II, said. "I've just gone off of what I've seen, and it just seems like it's lies, and if it is, it just needs to come up, because this isn't right for my family to still be confused.”
Vela's family says they were told on the scene that a nearby gas station captured the crash on their security camera. They are calling on the sheriff's office to release that footage.
"They need to come out and show us," Vela II said.
Goodyear Police provided the following statement on the crash and the investigation:
"The Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office is leading this investigation. For any questions or updates, please contact their office. We are fully committed to transparency and will accept their findings, while also prioritizing the integrity of their investigation. Our thoughts are with everyone affected, and we appreciate your understanding and patience during this time." -- Sgt. Sean Tyler, Goodyear Police
The Maricopa County Sheriff's Office says their investigation is ongoing. They alleged Vela was speeding before the crash and was not wearing a helmet. His family disputes that he was speeding, calling that uncharacteristic of him.
"Just the one day he didn't have his helmet, it would happen, but I don't believe he was speeding," Vela II said.
Goodyear Police Chief Brian Issitt has agreed to sit down with 12News to discuss the findings of the investigation after it concludes.
"Trust needs to be fixed because this could have been anyone. It just so happened to be my father," Vela II said.