Charges have been reduced against a University of Arizona student accused in the killing of three schoolmates in a hit-and-run crash while the trio was in a crosswalk near campus late last month.
Louis Artal, 19, was initially charged with three counts of second-degree murder in the Oct. 30 crash that killed Sophia Akimi Troetel, Josiah Patrick Santos and Katya Rosaura Castillo-Mendoza.
On Nov. 7, Artal was indicted on three counts of manslaughter and one count of felony leaving the scene of a fatal injury accident, records show.
The Maricopa County Attorney’s Office is prosecuting the case to avoid a conflict of interest, as Troetel was a volunteer at the Pima County Attorney’s Office for two years.
"After reviewing all the information and evidence, it was determined that the charges filed were the appropriate ones," The Maricopa County Attorney's Office said in an email when asked why the charges were reduced. "As with any case, we can evaluate any new evidence as the investigation progresses and consider if additional charges are warranted."
Artal, who, according to court records, told police he was impaired at the time of the crash, surrendered shortly after the crash.
Police have said Artal was speeding in a 2019 Porsche Boxster at the time of the 11 p.m. crash on North Euclid Avenue at East Second Street, near East University Boulevard.
Troetel and Santos died at the crash scene. Castillo-Mendoza died later after being removed from life support.
Artal remains at the Pima County jail on a bond of $250,000.
Following the students’ deaths, others have come forward pleading with the Tucson City Council to make the crosswalk the students were walking through a safer one for all pedestrians.
“I am here to express my outrage at the city of Tucson and its Department of Transportation for the negligence that allowed this crosswalk to kill my friend with the help of an impaired driver. You can ask anyone on campus, and they will tell you that crosswalk is terrifying. As a pedestrian, you have zero faith that you’re not going to be mowed down the second you step off the curb,” Justine Wilken, a friend of Santos, told the City Council at a meeting.
In the wake of the crash, an online petition was started, asking the city to install HAWK (high-intensity activated crosswalk) beacons at the intersection, which has more than 11,600 signatures as of Tuesday.
But the city’s transportation department told the Star it was already well into a process to improve the busy intersection as part of a larger package of projects.
In the short-term, the city will be “refreshing all signs and striping, inspecting street lighting for functionality and the consideration of flashing amber beacons.” A larger package of improvements has been in the works since 2023 for the intersection, and the city plans to install a TOUCAN (TwO groUps CAN cross) signal there.
According to data spanning from 2020 through 2024, there was one non-injury bicycle and pedestrian incident reported at the intersection of Euclid and Second Street, city officials have said.
Flowers and messages are left for Josiah Santos, 22, Sophia Troetel, 21, and Katya Castillo-Mendoza, 21, who were struck and killed in an Oct. 30 hit-and-run crash near the University of Arizona campus.
