Peoria Man Sentenced to 20 Years in Deadly DUI Wrong-Way Crash
FLORENCE, AZ (September 6th, 2024) – Pinal County Attorney Kent Volkmer announced Adam Parker, 38, has been sentenced to 20 years in prison for a deadly DUI wrong-way crash that killed a mother and injured her daughter along the US 60 in Apache Junction.
On Friday, Pinal County Superior Court Judge Steven Fuller sentenced Parker to 20 years flat time in the Arizona Department of Corrections.
"This defendant's senseless decision to drive drunk took the life of an innocent mother," said County Attorney Kent Volkmer. "There is no length of time served that can undo this tragedy, but we hope today marks at least some small sense of closure for the victim's family and that they can begin to heal."
In July, Parker pled guilty to Second Degree Murder, a Class 1 Felony; and Aggravated Assault, a Class 2 Felony. Parker pled to the Court, meaning there was no plea agreement in place.
On Saturday, January 20th, 2024, around 9:30pm, multiple people began calling 911 to report the driver of a truck driving aggressively, moving in and out of traffic, and then heading the wrong direction, driving westbound in the eastbound lanes of the US 60 near Mountain View Road. Shortly after, the truck collided with an SUV heading in the correct direction.
Parker was identified as the driver of the F150. The driver of the SUV, Elizabeth McAloon, 28, died from her injuries. McAloon's seven-year-old daughter was also injured in the crash. The victims were returning home from church when the crash occurred. According to the probable cause statement, a blood draw showed Parker's BAC in excess of 0.23.
At sentencing Friday, McAloon’s family addressed the Court and remembered her infectious laughter and devout faith. Her mom described Elizabeth as kind and caring and that she, “left an impression on everyone she met.” Another family member said of Parker’s actions, “this was a choice, it was not a mistake nor an accident.”
This case was prosecuted by Deputy County Attorney Stephen Bridger, who added: “This is one of the worst DUI cases I've ever seen and my thoughts are with Elizabeth's family as they move forward from this chapter.”
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