PHOENIX — A man pushing a shopping cart died in a crash near Loop 202 in Phoenix on May 27, according to the city’s police department.
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Around 9:30 p.m., officers were called to Loop 202 Red Mountain and 44th Street for a car-pedestrian crash.
Upon arrival, police found a man identified as 69-year-old Joseph Valentino Jr. unresponsive.
The Phoenix Fire Department arrived on scene and pronounced Valentino Jr. dead. Police said the next of kin has been notified.
Vehicular Crimes Unit (VCU) detectives took over the investigation and processed the scene.
Preliminary information indicates that Valentino Jr. was pushing a shopping cart across 44th Street, not using a crosswalk, when he was struck and died.
The 18-year-old driver stayed on the scene, and the teen’s passenger, a 19-year-old male, sustained minor injuries in the crash.
Police said a VCU drug recognition expert evaluated the driver for impairment and observed signs and symptoms of alcohol impairment. A search warrant for a blood sample to determine if the driver was intoxicated was obtained by detectives, officials said.
“Final charging decisions will be made once the reconstruction is completed by detectives and toxicology results are known,” a Phoenix police official said.
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