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Salt River Policeman killed by texting motorist

Sedona AZ (January 9, 2019)The Arizona Department of Public Safety (AZDPS) is investigating a fatal collision involving a Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community police officer, that occurred on January 8, 2019, at 6:04 p.m. The Salt River Police Department officer was struck by a distracted motorist while he was standing by the driver’s side door of the passenger car he had stopped.

At 6:02 in the evening, Officer Clayton Townsend was conducting a traffic stop on a passenger vehicle for an expired registration northbound along SR 101, just south of the McDowell Road off ramp, within the right side emergency lane.

At 6:04 p.m., Officer Townsend was standing at the stopped driver’s side door of the vehicle when a black passenger vehicle entered the right side emergency lane, collided with the stopped passenger vehicle and then struck Officer Townsend. Officer Townsend sustained head trauma during the impact.

Another Salt River police officer arrived on the scene and began rendering aid to Officer Townsend. Officer Townsend was transported to Honor Health Scottsdale Osborn Medical Center and pronounced deceased at 6:35 p.m.

The driver of the stopped passenger vehicle was also transported to Honor Health Scottsdale Hospital for non-life threatening injuries.

During the investigation on scene, the driver of the black passenger car told AZDPS detectives he had been texting during the time his vehicle entered the right side emergency lane and struck the police officer. A witness told detectives that the driver of the black passenger car was looking down at his phone just before crossing over two traffic lanes and striking the vehicle and officer.

The texting driver of the black passenger car, Jerry Sanstead, 40,  of Scottsdale, Arizona, was arrested and booked into the Maricopa County 4th Avenue Jail for Manslaughter, Aggravated Assault with a Deadly Weapon, and Endangerment.

The Arizona Department of Public Safety is a law enforcement agency whose mission is to protect human life and property by enforcing state laws, deterring criminal activity and providing vital support to the State of Arizona and its citizens.

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1 Comment

  1. Hazel Kingsley, Peoria says:

    It’s awful reading this complete waste of a good life. Here’s a man serving us and because somebody didn’t have a current registration he gets killed by another somebody breaking the law by texting. Maybe the person in that unregistered car should be held liable for a misdemeanor charges and fines? The law is to be the law. Obey it. Or face consequences.

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