The public is being asked to report any information about a light or silver colored sedan with front-end damage that may have been involved in a fatal hit-and-run near Sierra Vista over the weekend.
According to the Cochise County Sheriff’s Office (CCSO), one of its deputies was conducting a traffic stop about 10p.m. Sunday of a Nissan Altima suspected of involvement in human smuggling. The stop occurred on northbound State Route 92 south of Sierra Vista.
With U.S. Border Patrol agents as backup, the deputy approached the Altima but the driver resisted the deputy’s commands. A physical altercation then ensued, CCSO reported Monday in a written statement.
“While the deputy gained control over the driver and was attempting to handcuff him, a speeding vehicle travelling northbound failed to yield/slow for the emergency lights and narrowly missed the deputy, ultimately striking the driver of the vehicle,” the statement reads.
The driver of the Altima was pronounced deceased at a local hospital Sunday night, with notification of next of kin ongoing. The deputy barely avoided injury.
The passing vehicle, described as a light or silver colored sedan, fled the scene with what CCSO says is “obvious front-end damage.” However, efforts to locate the vehicle have been unsuccessful as of press time.
Anyone with information about a vehicle with such damage is asked to contact the Cochise County Sheriff’s Office at 520-432-9502.
Sheriff Mark Dannels arrived on scene shortly after the accident. Migrants were found in the Altima’s trunk, in what the sheriff says has become “a new normal” for border communities and law enforcement.
“As anyone could imagine, this is an emotional and stressful scenario for any law enforcement professional,” Dannels added. “Please keep our deputy in your thoughts and prayers as part of our CCSO family.”
The Arizona Department of Public Safety is handling the investigation as part of a multi-agency Critical Incident Response Team.