Deadly week for pedestrians, motorists in Southern Arizona

It’s been a particularly deadly several days for pedestrians and motorists in Southern Arizona.

Two pedestrians, two motorcyclists and another motorist have died since Monday night.

Motorcyclist killed

by stop-sign runner

On Tuesday night, a 41-year-old man died on the northwest side when a truck towing a trailer ran a stop sign and struck his motorcycle.

Michael Robert died at the scene of the wreck around 9:15 p.m., the Pima County Sheriff’s Department said in a news release.

The Sheriff’s Department said the 76-year-old driver of the truck ran a stop sign while driving westbound on West Trico Marana Road and collided with Robert, who was heading southbound on North Trico Road.

The truck driver remained on the scene, the Sheriff’s Department said. Charges may be filed depending on the outcome of the investigation, the Sheriff’s Department said, adding that impairment does not appear to be a factor in the wreck.

Left-turning van driver

kills motorcyclist, 23

On Wednesday morning, another motorcyclist, Rodrigo A. Ortega Saldate, 23, died at a hospital of injuries he suffered in a wreck shortly after 6 a.m. at West Speedway and North Main Avenue.

Traffic investigators determined that Saldate was driving a three-wheeled 2015 Can-Am Spyder motorcycle west on Speedway and entered the intersection on a green light. He was struck by the driver of a 2013 Ford Transit van that was making a left turn from eastbound Speedway, said Sgt. Pete Dugan, a police spokesman.

Saldate, who was wearing a helmet, was thrown from the motorcycle.

The investigation is continuing. Speed or impairment on the part of the van driver do not appear to be factors, Dugan said.

Woman fatally struck crossing Benson Hwy.

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A woman died while walking across Benson Highway on Tuesday night.

A car traveling westbound on Benson Highway struck Malinda Becker, 37, around 8:15 p.m. as she crossed just west of the South Palo Verde Road intersection, the Sheriff’s Department said in a news release. She was taken to a hospital and died of her injuries.

Becker did not cross the road in a marked or unmarked crosswalk, the Sheriff’s Department said. The driver of the car remained at the scene of the wreck and cooperated with investigators. Neither speed nor impairment are believed to be factors in the wreck.

Pedestrian killed

on southwest side

A pedestrian was killed Monday night crossing West Valencia Road, west of Interstate 19.

Tucson police said Eunice Helen Ortega, 43, died after being hit by a truck as she was crossing in the 1600 block of West Valencia.

Police said Ortega was not in a crosswalk when she was struck by a westbound 2007 Dodge pickup truck.

Speed does not appear to be a factor and there were no signs of impairment of the truck driver, police said. No citations have been issued.

Picacho woman, 78, dies in I-10 rollover

A 78-year-old woman was killed in a single-vehicle rollover near Picacho Peak Tuesday afternoon.

She was identified as Judith Hummer of Picacho, said Quentin Mehr, an Arizona Department of Public Safety spokesman.

The crash occurred shortly before 3 p.m. Investigators determined that Hummer was traveling eastbound on I-10 and lost control of the vehicle and the vehicle traveled into the median, Mehr said.

The vehicle continued to travel into the interstate’s westbound lanes and rolled, coming to rest upright on the side of the highway, said Mehr.

Hummer was pronounced dead at the scene. At least 37 traffic-related fatalities (including pedestrians and bicyclists) have been reported this year in the city of Tucson and Pima County, compared to 40 at this time last year.