Accidents and Disasters

Marijuana By Itself Not a Significant Factor in Fatal and Injury Crashes in 2012, DPS Data Shows

Pot by itself was not much of a factor in injury and fatal crashes probed last year by the Arizona Department of Public Safety. Fewer than 1 percent of suspected impaired drivers involved in such crashes tested positive for nothing but marijuana. New Times' findings, based on a records request sat ... More >>

Ready Or Not

Climate Change May Lead to "Exodus from Phoenix," or Maybe Just Total Disaster

The end of Phoenix metro area may be nigh, at least, according to one guy.A writer who focuses mostly on environmental affairs in the Southwest says that Phoenix just keeps getting hotter, and among other problems, it could lead to a Superstorm Sandy-like or Hurricane Katrina-like disaster.

Top Gear Footage of Coolidge Helicopter Crash Released (Video)

The BBC has released the footage of a 2012 helicopter crash in Coolidge, which happened during the filming of a scene for the South Korean version of the automotive show Top Gear.The crash -- which was not planned -- took place almost a year ago, and involved a military helicopter, the Bell AH-1 Cob ... More >>

Arizona's Drunk Drivers Average "Extreme" DUI Blood-Alcohol Levels During Holidays... Again

Despite cops around the state probably hearing the phrase "just two beers" quite often during DUI stops this holiday season, the state government's statistics show that Arizonans tend to be fairly slammed when they were caught driving drunk.For the second year in a row, drivers busted for DUI during ... More >>

Sheriff Larry Dever's Blood-Alcohol Level Was More Than Three Times the "Legal Limit"

Cochise County Sheriff Larry Dever's blood-alcohol level was .29 at the time of his fatal crash, which is more than three times higher than what's considered to be the "legal limit" of .08.The autopsy report from Coconino County says Dever died from injuries related to the crash, including a broken ... More >>

Sheriff Larry Dever Was Driving Drunk at the Time of Fatal Crash, According to Test

Cochise County Sheriff Larry Dever was driving drunk at the time of his fatal crash a little more than two weeks ago, according to a toxicology report.The Coconino County Sheriff's Office relayed the results from the medical examiner, saying that preliminary toxicology results "indicate a level of a ... More >>

Sheriff Larry Dever Didn't Have Seat Belt On When His Truck was Found; Feds Check Forest Road for Problems

Cochise County Sheriff Larry Dever wasn't wearing a seat belt when his body was found on Tuesday night by a deputy following Dever's fatal rollover crash near Williams. Dever was killed when his 2008 three-quarter-ton Chevrolet pickup slid off a forest road and rolled just after sunset. He'd been o ... More >>

Sheriff Larry Dever Lost Control of Truck on Dirt Road "For an Unknown Reason;" Popular Sheriff, 60, Killed When Truck Rolled

Cochise County Sheriff Larry Dever lost control of his truck "for an unknown reason" on a dirt road, leading to the fatal rollover, the Coconino County Sheriff's Office says. Dever, 60, died at the scene following the one-vehicle crash at about 6:30 p.m. last night on Forest Road 109 about two mile ... More >>

El Mirage: Traffic-Collision Data Belies Officials' Claims that Speed Cameras on U.S. 60 are about Public Safety

See also: El Mirage Officials Withholding Accident Stats at Intersection with Speed Camera Until After Election, Despite Councilman's Request for Data El Mirage officials claim photo-enforcement cameras they installed on U.S. 60 (Grand Avenue) last year to catch red-light runners and speed ... More >>

Arizona's Sunflower Fire Continues Burning in Tonto National Forest (Photos)

Wildfire season started early in Arizona this year. There are currently four wildfires burning throughout the state, the largest of which is the Sunflower Fire, burning about 20 miles south of Payson in the Tonto National Forest. Phoenix New Times freelance photographer Andrew Pielage made the tre ... More >>

David Buot Gets 22 Years in Prison for Failed Suicide Attempt That Killed an Innocent Woman

​David Buot decided he was going to kill himself in October, 2010, and opted for one of the most unsafe methods for the rest of the people who felt like living another day -- driving his SUV head-on into another vehicle.Buot failed at killing himself, but he did end up killing 49-year-old Christin ... More >>

Superstition Plane Crash: Don't Pick Up Bones Near Crash Site, PCSO Says

​The trails on the Superstition Mountains near the site of last week's plane crash are now open for business, even as wreckage from the crash -- including human bone fragments, apparently -- remains on the mountain.The Pinal County Sheriff's Office says one hiker's already found a bone fragment ne ... More >>

Joe Arpaio: Illegal Immigrant to Blame For Hit-and-Run Death of Daniel Pollack, Son of Valley Real Estate Mogul

MCSOChristino Torres Romero admitted to being involved in the hit-and-run death of Daniel Pollack​According to Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio, the man responsible for the hit-and-run death of Daniel Pollack, the son of Valley real estate mogul Michael Pollack, is an illegal immigrant.Arpaio sa ... More >>

George Lindell: "I Was Just Minding My Own Business - BAM! Internet Sensation!" Enjoy Your 15 Minutes, "Bro"

"Reality hits you hard, bro." - George Lindell​Last week, Valley resident George Lindell was just your average painter/drummer driving to a grocery store. Now, thanks to some reckless driving, and an over-the-top account of a car wreck, he's officially famous -- well...Internet famous.Earlier this ... More >>

Real Estate Mogul Michael Pollack Offering $50,000 For Info on Son's Hit-and-Run Death

Silent WitnessDaniel Pollack was killed in a hit-and-run incident Sunday morning. His father is offering $50,000 for info about his son's death.​Valley real estate mogul Michael Pollack's son was killed over the weekend when he was hit by a truck while crossing a Scottsdale street. The driver didn ... More >>

Arizona Prison Inmate Hit by Truck on I-10, in "Extremely" Serious Condition

​The Arizona Department of Corrections has shut down the westbound I-10 at the Marana exit after a prison inmate was hit by a truck this morning.DPS spokesman Bart Graves says the inmate is in extremely serious condition.Department of Corrections officials would not yet identify the inmate when as ... More >>

Five Best Ways to Start an Arizona Forest Fire

fortressofbaileytude.comDon't be an idiot. Just pay attention to what Smokey says and everything will be alright.​Fire crews are having a hell of a time putting out the second largest forest fire in Arizona history, which is currently burning in eastern Arizona. So, naturally, we've made a list of ... More >>

Christopher Gross in Japan, Part Two

​Yesterday we started our conversation with Christopher Gross of Christopher's and Crush Lounge about his recent time spent in Japan. Today we continue. Drinking tea may never be the same for Gross. The Tohoku earthquake struck while he was disrobing to be dressed in his kimono for a tea ... More >>

Late Night Japanese Street Food at Posh -- for a Good Cause

  courtesy of Posh​Chef, you had us at "late night Japanese street food." From 10 to midnight this Thursday, March 24, Josh Hebert at Posh restaurant in Scottsdale will donate half his proceeds to the Red Cross in support of disaster relief efforts in Japan. The fare at Posh is "glo ... More >>

Linda Lopez, Arizona State Senator, Gives All-World Quote On Budget

Ok, so we get that the Arizona Legislature, aka The Big Dummies, is about to eviscerate this state's budget. Arizona After Budget Cuts?​And we also are well aware that all segments of society, especially the poor, the infirm and those trying to get an education, will be adversely affected by ... More >>

Dan Quayle Defends "Worst President in History's" Golf Game

www.needlenose.comDan Quayle's totally cool with Barack Obama playing golf.​Barack Obama may be the Ben Quayle-certified "worst president in history," but if you ask the freshman congressman's old man, the president spending time on the golf course as the entire world slips into chaos is A-OK.Obam ... More >>

Tsunami Footage Breathtaking, Heartbreaking; West Coast on Tsunami Alert -- Schools Canceled Along Northern California Coast

Image: AP /Kyodo News Tsunami as it hits Natori, Miyagi.​We just saw some of the video footage trickling in from the epic disaster that hit Japan last night. Unbelievable. Gut-wrenching. Scary as hell. Nice to be safe here in the deep desert. Just called a friend who lives near Half Moon ... More >>

Hana Bows Out of Devoured After Japanese Earthquake

Chefs Kazuto Kishino (left) and Koji Hashimoto from Hana won't be attending this weekend's culinary fest.​Family emergency following the devastation in Japan from today's earthquakes and tsunamis has prompted the owners of Hana Japanese Eatery to drop out of the lineup for this weekend's Devoured ... More >>

Phoenix DUI Suspect Makes it Easy for Cops -- By Driving Straight into Police Headquarters

Photo by Matthew Hendley​In a DUI even Governor Jan Brewer probably couldn't get away with, police say an allegedly drunk 56-year-old man crashed his truck straight into Phoenix police headquarters early Thursday. Phoenix police Sergeant Tommy Thompson tells New Times the man was driving his 2003 ... More >>

Denver Fugitive Arrested at Sky Harbor Airport; Suspect Was Catching Connecting Flight to Mexico, Cops Say

MCSO/Denver PostNorma Vera-Nolasko​Here's a tip: If you're trying to fly to Mexico to evade a felony warrant, you may want to pony up the extra couple of bucks for a direct flight. Apparently, 37-year-old Norma Vera-Nolasko didn't heed that advice, as Phoenix police arrested her at Phoenix Sky Ha ... More >>

Hypocrite Alert: Governor Jan "Drive Hammered, Get Nailed" Brewer and Her Love of Scotch/ Driving

Glug, glug, Jan.​A week before the November election, the Arizona Republic was given by Terry Goddard's campaign seems to have stumbled upon Department of Public Safety records detailing a 1988 car wreck, where Governor Jan Brewer rear-ended a mini-van after throwin' back at least two scotches.The ... More >>

Morning Poll: Is the DPS's Apology Over Dead Body Mix-up Enough?

Abby Guerra and Marlena Cantu.​The Arizona Department of Public Safety issued apologies yesterday to the families of the two girls involved in the dead body mix-up following a car accident on the I-10 last week.If you're not familiar with the SNAFU, the two girls (pictured) were in a car wreck las ... More >>

Dine Out for the Gulf, 6 Courses of Tomatoes and Pesto Pasta Salad in Today's Eater's Digest

www.howto-simplify.com​Hungry for for your early morning serving of food news, with no preservatives or additives?Dine Out for the Gulf CoastStarting tonight, Scottsdale's FnB will be joining many other restaurants across the country to help raise funds for for the Gulf Coast Oil Spill Fund. ... More >>

Morning Poll: How Many Wildfires Will be Caused by Crappy Fireworks Within First Year of Their Legalization?

www.ebaumsworld.com​On Monday night, Governor Jan Brewer signed into law a bill that legalizes the sale and use of certain types of fireworks in Arizona.The bill doesn't permit cool fireworks like bottle rockets, or M-80s, but allows Arizona residents to buy, sell, and use things like sparklers an ... More >>

Seafood Prices Going Up After Gulf Coast Oil Spill?

​A recent piece on National Public Radio highlighted the impact the Gulf Coast oil spill is having on the region's seafood industry. Oil slicks threaten Louisiana, in particular, as the state's $1.8 billion seafood biz is the second largest in the U.S. after Alaska. For landlocked seafood lov ... More >>

New in Old Town: Sola Coffee Bar

​How could I not immediately fall in love with this coffee shop?Nestled in that stretch of 5th Avenue between Scottsdale Road and Stetson (7124 E. 5th Ave.), Sola Coffee Bar struck me as a refreshingly indie antidote to typically Southwestern-y Old Town businesses nearby. When I stopped by a coupl ... More >>

Weezer's Phoenix Show Canceled

​Remember that bus crash involving Rivers Cuomo? Turns out the Phoenix date is not, in fact, safe, as we were told at the time. The show has now been canceled on "doctor's orders." (Phoenix, AZ) - Due to the recent bus crash involving Rivers Cuomo, as per doctors orders, the Weezer show previousl ... More >>

DUI Driver Awaiting Sentencing for Fatal Crash Arrested -- Again

www.ks-net.com​A 19-year-old Tucson man awaiting sentencing for a fatal crash got busted driving under the influence -- again. After being convicted on October 30 of driving with an illegal drug in his system and leaving the scene after causing a fatal crash, Pima County Superior ... More >>

The Devil and the Deep Blue Sea

New Orleans guitar hero/film star hits the Rhythm Room

Southwest Regional Laptop Battle @ Homme

Pop Tarts

Troupe skewers the Great American Car Wreck

Letters from the issue of Thursday, February 7, 2008

Ben Lee

Oedipus Wrecks

Weird and Wonderful

Top DVDs of 2006

A True Horror Classic

Letters From the Issue of Thursday, July 20, 2006

Elvis Costello & Allen Toussaint

The River in Reverse
(Verve Forecast)

Critical Fatwa

Michael Jackson

What was he thinking?!

Bishop O'Brien drove away without offering last rites to the man bludgeoned by his Buick. It wasn't the first time he'd left an accident scene.

Smoke Signal

The Rodeo-Chediski fire has destroyed more than trees in Apache country

Flashes

From the week of March 22, 2001

On Wings of Light

A FAKE IN THE LIFEFOR DRAMA'S SAKE, NPR NEWS EMBELLISHES A PHOENIX POLICE DISPATCHER'S WORKDAY