A man who is suspected of crashing into a senior care home and killing an 88-year-old resident was allegedly drunk when the crash occurred, court documents revealed.
According to the arresting document, Joshua Michael Degolier, 33, sped his Chevrolet pickup truck through the parking lot of American Orchards Assisted Living and Memory Care in Gilbert, flew over the curb and crashed into the building, directly into the room of Mary Haapala.
The vehicle stopped when it hit the east wall of the room and “squashed” the sleeping Haapala under the front right tire, the court documents said.
A caregiver in the adjacent room witnessed the crash, and she told police that the man, later identified as Degolier, exited the vehicle and left on foot out of the hole that he made.
Police found Degolier a half-mile north of the scene near Guadalupe and Lindsay roads.
According to a post-Miranda interview conducted by police, Degolier said he had been at Brass Tap, a bar in Gilbert, watched a college football game and drank alcoholic beverages with friends. After that, he refused to answer questions without a lawyer present, the court documents said.
He was arrested on Jan. 10 on suspicion of three felony charges — one count of second-degree murder, one count of failing to render aid and one count of failing to stay at the scene. A bail amount was not posted on the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office site by Tuesday afternoon.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Police say man who crashed into Gilbert senior center may have been drunk