A man is facing murder charges after authorities said he fled in his vehicle from a state trooper and hit a light pole in downtown Tucson on Friday, killing a passenger in his car.
Albert Batt, 21, a passenger in the vehicle, was pronounced dead at the scene. The driver, Marcos Martinez Moreno, 22, was taken to a hospital for treatment.
Moreno was released from the hospital and booked into the Pima County Jail on suspicion of first-degree murder.
At around 2 a.m. Friday, a state trooper saw a vehicle driving the wrong way on the Interstate 10 frontage road at West Congress Street, the Arizona Department of Public Safety said.
The trooper stopped the vehicle, but the driver turned around and drove away, the DPS said. While turning onto West Speedway, the driver's car struck a light pole.
The DPS said it believes impairment was a factor in the crash. The investigation is ongoing.
