Motorcycle-Massacre Suspect On Meth at Time of Collision, Cops Say

A dump-truck driver who ran into the back of group of motorcycles last month, killing four riders, was on methamphetamine at the time of the collision, Phoenix police say. Eight motorcycles were hit; four people were killed and five were injured. Police arrested Michael Jakscht, 46, today after he allegedly...

By Ray Stern

April 6, 2010

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A dump-truck driver who ran into the back of group of motorcycles last month, killing four riders, was on methamphetamine at the time of the collision, Phoenix police say.

Eight motorcycles were hit; four people were killed and five were injured.

Police arrested Michael Jakscht, 46, today after he allegedly drove away from his Scottsdale house while impaired.

Jakscht already had been under surveillance since the March 25 collision, which occurred on the Carefree Highway near 27th Avenue.

An expedited drug test revealed the meth in Jakscht's system, cops said.

Police plan to book him into county jail tonight and seek charges of four counts of manslaughter, five counts of aggravated assault, and seven counts of endangerment.

Jakscht's Facebook page describes him as single and self-employed.

Police expect more charges to be filed as the investigation continues.

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Ray Stern is the former news editor of Phoenix New Times. He worked as a newspaper reporter in Arizona for more than two decades. He's won numerous awards for his reporting, including the Arizona Press Club's Don Bolles Award for Investigative Journalism.