A man facing charges in a crash that killed Arizona Senate candidate John McLean earlier this month had a blood-alcohol level that was nearly twice the legal limit, a court file shows.
Michael Creel, 27, is accused of speeding through a stop sign on East Broadway near North Houghton Road about 6 a.m. Nov. 14, colliding with a vehicle driven by McLean, the unsuccessful Democratic challenger for Tucson-area District 17’s senate seat.
Creel’s preliminary blood-alcohol test was .154, according to a criminal complaint filed in Pima County Justice Court. The state legal limit is .08.
Creel told police he was headed to a store to buy a soda, stopped at the the stop sign and saw the headlights from McLean's vehicle at the last minute while making a turn, the complaint says.
Investigators, however, say evidence at the crash scene contradict his claim. They say Creel was speeding, ran the stop sign and struck the passenger side of McLean’s vehicle. The impact sent McLean's vehicle into and over a wall, the complaint says.
McLean died at the scene.
Creel was arrested on suspicion of aggravated DUI, criminal damage and manslaughter. He remains in custody at the Pima County jail on a $200,000 bond
Tucson City Court records show Creel pleaded guilty in a 2022 DUI case.
