Just before 2 p.m., an unidentified 60-year-old woman and her unidentified 59-year-old husband, were were crossing Central Avenue despite the pedestrian signals advising them not to, Phoenix police say.
As the couple approached the tracks, a light-rail train was approaching, so the two turned back toward the sidewalk. As they turned back, they were hit by a 2011 BMW driven by 53-year-old Christopher Perry, a prominent real estate attorney at the law firm Perry & Shapiro.
The female victim was thrown onto the northbound tracks, which caused the Light Rail System to shut down temporarily.
According to police, after smashing into the couple in his BMW, Perry stopped for a minute, got out of his car, took a look at the two people he'd plowed into, and then drove off as police arrived on the scene.
In his attempted escape, Perry had to weave through stopped traffic on Central Avenue as both officers and citizens tried to stop him. He failed, and was ultimately boxed in by stopped traffic and taken into custody.
Perry, Phoenix police spokesman Sergeant Steve Martos tells New Times, was found to be under the influence of alcohol. He was booked on one count of driving under the influence and leaving the scene of a serious injury collision.
In a 2006 press release, Perry was described by his law partner, Gerald Shapiro, as "a second-generation Arizona attorney with vast experience and a great reputation among his peers in the State of Arizona."
The DUI aside, Perry could potentially face more charges -- the female victim is currently in the hospital in extremely critical condition.
