Pinal County Sheriff’s Office this morning identified the teen killed in a crash Sunday afternoon.  

Maricopa police and fire crews responded to the crash at West McDavid Road and North Taft Avenue just before 2:30 p.m.   

Officers found the passenger, 13-year-old Rope Justin, dead at the scene, PCSO spokesperson Lauren Reimer confirmed this morning. She did not identify the driver. 

The 18-year-old driver was transported to a hospital in “extremely critical condition,” Reimer told InMaricopa Monday.   

Reimer said the vehicle was travelling westbound on McDavid Road before the driver “lost control at the curve, traveled across eastbound lanes and collided with a tree.”  

“DUI impairment is suspected, and blood evidence was collected for testing,” Reimer said. “Speed was also a likely factor.”   

Pinal County Vehicular Crimes Task Force is investigating the crash. 

Brian Petersheim Jr., Reporter
Brian Petersheim Jr., Reporter
Brian became part of the InMaricopa team in October 2020, starting as a multimedia intern with a focus on various multimedia tasks. His responsibilities included file organization and capturing photos of events and incidents. After graduating from Maricopa High School in the class of 2021, his internship seamlessly transitioned into a full-fledged job. Initially serving as a dedicated photographer, Brian's role evolved in October 2021 when he took on a new beat as a writer. He is currently pursuing his studies at the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication. Brian's primary focus lies in covering public safety-related stories. In his free time, Brian finds joy in spending quality time with his family and embarking on adventures to explore the landscapes around him.
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