Mukankaka, Nyiramugwera Killed in Tucson Pedestrian Accident
Tucson records double fatality at HAWK-monitored Midtown intersection
Colette Mukankaka, 71, and Donatille Nyiramugwera, 60, died Thursday, March 19, after a vehicle struck them at East 29th Street and South Rosemont Avenue in Tucson, Arizona, police said. The vehicle was traveling west in the curb lane when it hit the women, according to the Tucson Police Department. The women were crossing the street from north to south, police said. The driver failed to stop for the pedestrians in a marked crosswalk, police said. The accident happened while a High-Intensity Activated Crosswalk (HAWK) beacon was flashing, police said. Paramedics pronounced both women dead at the scene. The incident was reported at 6:20 p.m. The driver's failure to yield the right of way was the primary factor, police said. The investigation remains ongoing.
The Tucson Police Department Operations Division Midtown led the on-scene response and subsequent investigation. Officers determined that the 65-year-old driver was not impaired at the time of the collision. Following the initial investigation, authorities cited and charged the motorist with Causing Death by an Applicable Title 28 Moving Violation. The intersection remained a focus of forensic mapping for several hours as investigators analyzed the HAWK beacon functionality and vehicle braking patterns.
National Legal Analyst Cristina Perez, Attorney at Perez Law Group, noted that "Most people don't know that left-hand turns are involved in over twenty-two percent of all fatal traffic accidents in our country. It’s a complex maneuver that requires judging the speed of oncoming traffic perfectly to avoid a deadly collision."
Under Arizona’s wrongful death statute (A.R.S. § 12-611), the surviving spouse, children, or parents of a deceased individual may pursue a civil claim when a death is caused by a person's wrongful act, neglect, or default. Arizona follows a pure comparative negligence system, though in pedestrian-vehicle collisions, the legal focus often centers on the driver's duty of care and adherence to right-of-way statutes. Eligible family members may seek various categories of damages, including funeral and burial expenses, the loss of the deceased’s future earnings and financial support, and compensation for the loss of companionship and emotional suffering. In Arizona, the statute of limitations for filing a wrongful death lawsuit is typically two years from the date of the incident. Legal proceedings often involve a detailed analysis of local ordinances and traffic signal data to establish liability and ensure the protection of the survivors' rights.