On February 8, 2014, at 1:59 a.m., Tucson Police officers responded to a report of a vehicle on fire near the intersection of South 6th Avenue and West Illinois Street. Upon arrival, officers located two vehicles that had been involved in a collision. One of the vehicles, a Honda Civic, was engulfed in flames. Bystanders were removing a 22-year old male passenger from the burning vehicle. Officers and the bystanders were unable to get the driver out of the burning vehicle.
Personnel from the Tucson Fire Department responded and extinguished the fire. The driver was pronounced deceased at the scene. The passenger from the burning vehicle was transported to a local area hospital with life threatening injuries. The 28-year old driver of the second vehicle involved, a Chevrolet Impala, was transported to a local area hospital with non-life threatening injuries.
The 24-year old passenger of the Chevy Impala had minor injuries but was not transported.
Detectives determined that a 2000 Chevrolet Impala was traveling southbound on 6th Avenue in the curb lane at a high rate of speed. A 1994 Honda Civic turned southbound onto 6th Avenue from a private drive on the west side of 6th Avenue. The Chevy Impala rear ended the Honda Civic. The Chevy Impala continued across the northbound lanes, jumped the curb, hit the bus bench canopy on the east side of the street, continued into a dirt lot and into a chain link fence. The Honda Civic came to rest in the southbound lanes of 6th Avenue and immediately caught fire.
Detectives determined that the driver of the Chevrolet Impala was under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs at the time of the collision. He was identified as 28-year old Juan M. Hernandez-Rodriguez. He was booked into the Pima County Jail for 1 count of 2nd Degree Murder, 1 count of Aggravated Assault, 1 count of Endangerment, and 1 count of Felony Criminal Damage.