TEMPE – An arrest has been made by Arizona Department of Public Safety detectives following a nearly two-year investigation into a deadly chain-reaction crash on State Route 202.
According to the Arizona Department of Public Safety (AZDPS), on Nov. 3, 2024, at approximately 2:57 a.m., troopers responded to a collision on westbound SR 202 near milepost 8.
Investigators determined a 2019 Dodge Journey struck a 2015 Honda Pilot from behind at approximately 96 mph, forcing the Honda into the median before it came to rest blocking the roadway.
Approximately 30 seconds later, a 2017 Audi Q7 struck the disabled Honda. About five minutes later, a third collision occurred when a 2018 Ford Focus struck the Audi.
The series of collisions resulted in one fatality, and two individuals suffered serious injuries.
Detectives ultimately identified Deone Xavier Holland, 37, as the driver of the Dodge Journey and determined he left the collision scene and failed to call for emergency assistance.
On Thursday, Sept. 3, 2026, at approximately 9 a.m., Holland was arrested on a grand jury warrant. He faces the following charges:
The only person with no-faults in this is the Honda Pilot driver. One learns during motorcycle training class that by nature we scan our environment about 30ft ahead. For a walking pace, i.e. all of human history until about 125 years ago, that was good enough. A car traveling just 25MPH – let alone 75MPH – covers 30ft in 0.82 seconds.
When riding a motorcycle one scans from 50ft to 300ft and back, constantly. If one isn’t tracking everything that’s happening halfway to the next intersection, one is cruise’n for a bruise’n. Same with cars. More so, I would argue, with cars since cars have significantly more mass, hence inertia, than motorcycles.
We need mandatory and more rigorous drivers license requirements, and hella steep penalties for driving without. But Py, you say, travel is a right. Rights also come with responsibilities. When responsibilities are flagrantly if not wantonly disregarded then, I believe, it becomes necessary to infringe upon those rights to the extent that the belligerent poses a clear and present threat to others. Sorry, not sorry.