An 18-year-old woman has been arrested for fleeing the scene of a fatal crash.
According to a Tucson Police Department press release, Rebecca Lanette Valenzuela struck Angelic Monica Barnes, 29, on Aug. 9 at about 11 p.m.
The crash occurred Irvington Road and Fremont Avenue. According to the report, Barnes was walking south across Irvington Road west of Fremont when she was hit.
Valenzuela allegedly fled the scene after the crash. Witnesses indicate the driver did not stop or slow after striking Barnes.
Police did not identify Valenzuela until the morning of Aug. 10, when a family member of Valenzuela’s saw the damage to the van and called police.
The release alleges Valenzuela and two other passengers panicked and fled following the crash.
The van showed obvious signs of damage including “extensive windshield damage.”
Valenzuela was arrested for Leaving the Scene of an Accident Involving a Death, which is a class 2 felony. Sentencing for a class 2 felony can range from probation to 12.5 years for first time offenders.
According to TPD, the passengers were not charged.
Traffic investigators indicated the Barnes was not in a crosswalk at the time of the crash. Drivers who strike pedestrians who are not in crosswalks are generally not cited.
There is zero excuse for hit and run offenses. It deserves the death penalty. I’m saying this as a “hippie, liberal European” and I’m completely serious.
Oy Vey
Its night and dark
Things happen / people can panic / could be wasted / anything …TucsonVelo making every downed Ped news is sensationalist
huesername Just reread the article due to your claim of “TucsonVelo making every downed Ped News is sensationalist” … nothing that I see reeks of sensationalism, TucsonVelo is just reporting the news as provided by TPD. Since pedestrian/cycling accident news is given little coverage elsewhere, how are we to be made aware of these accidents/hit-and-runs? The hit-and-rum problem in Tucson is very real.
While I am thinking about it, I would like to see TucsonVelo incorporate having a person’s name attached to an opinion. Made-up (h)user names allow people to comment without any personal responsibility. It is my opinion that if you are not willing to attach your name to a comment, then the comment is worthless. So say I, Randy Garmon.
Was the victim not in a crosswalk or not in a <i>marked</i> crosswalk? Every street corner has a crosswalk but not every crosswalk is marked.
According to the report, the pedestrian was west of the actual intersection.
The girl left the poor woman without stopping the girl had no intension in turning herself in. she killed someone who had a family and friends, and she was run down like a dog with no second thought, how selfish she is. She has caused so much pain and heart ache for that womans family not knowing what happened to their daughter/sister/mother this is a major trajadey to several people this girl if she was raised right she would have done the right thing i hope she gets life in prison
@Randy Garmon huesername Is the comment, “Give me liberty or give me death.” more inspirational because we know who said it?
People can use real names, made-up(real-sounding) names or ‘husernames’ and they can be used as a misdirection as much as the avatar next to them.
Habitual readers learn to associate types of comments with identifiers, real or not, anyway.
What’s in a name? Hey, who said that?
@zz huesername Yes, knowing who to attribute the refernced quote to is important as Patrick Henry was speaking in support of sending troops to fight against the British at the start of the American Revolution. This quote did not come from some unknown person unwilling to go on the record as to being anti-British.
My discomfort with made-up user names is when the comments are negative in nature, or are attacking others … if a person is unwilling to be associated with such comments then the comments are worthless. So say I.
@Randy Garmon Going back to the original story, the news, one young female was killed, another young female’s life was destroyed, reportedly by her own actions and you, Randy Garmon, are all upset about commenter user names on this blog, Randy Garmon? Correct? Does Red Star understand you?
@Randy Garmon huesername
“My discomfort with made-up user names is when the comments are negative in nature, or are attacking others ” Oh so ironic, calling a comment “worthless” and “negative” using the shield of what you imply is your real name? “On the internet nobody knows you’re a dog” It’s all meta as near as can tell
Red Star
Sorry, what Red Star meant to say is as follows:
Hey Randy, Orvis, and zz– Given the gravity of what happened here–one young female was killed, another young female’s life was destroyed, reportedly by her own actions–it seems at least off-topic and even a bit insensitive to use this particular forum to raise your concerns and argue about user names. Maybe some other forum would be more appropriate?
This has been a public service announcement from the Red Star Comment Interpreter. Thank you for your understanding.
@Red Star Interpreter
Good work! Is there an app for you? $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
@Red Star Interpreter Red Star So are you the guy on Craig’s list who scolds everyone for being scam artists and pricing bicycles for more think you think is fair?
To the friends and family of Agelic Monica Barnes my heart goes out to you in this time of tragedy. I can only imagine your sorrow and loss.
If she had a brain she wouldve stopped and called the cops amd ambulance. if she wouldve done that then angelic might still be alive. she disnt give her thar option by fleeing. she took that away from her. she left her there like it was notjing. like she was some dog left to die. dumb bitch deserves jail time. panickes or not- she sisnt do thw right thing by fleeing. I pray for angelic’s family and for her sould to rest in peace. I sure hope she gets jail time.
@Suzanne Red Star
Dumb bitch? she is not. She’s 18 years old. she did not intentionally run over this girl. Think about both parties before speaking. she panicked and fled the scene. She cries daily. this was not intentional. If you weren’t there and don’t personally know either of these girls. your opinion is invalid!!
i don’t know the victim but i do know Rebecca and she ran cause she was scared half of you people would have fled or your kids would have done the same so don’t go judging her
This seems to be a pretty typical sentence (1 month plus some probation). As TucsonVelo pointed out a much much longer sentence is possible for this crime; this would have been a class 3 felony. Once again, I will point out, this seems very very light for a class 3 felony. Why do hit-and-runners get this special treatment? Or is the crime mis-categorized?
With the article about the sentence, there is *nothing*mentioned about license revocation. The law supposedly requires an automatic, 10 year(!) license revocation. For that to be carried out, the court (the Pima County Superior Court) would have to forward the requisite paperwork to ADOT/MVD — did they? Why does nothing in the story mention this? A 10 year loss of their driving privilege seems to me to be both appropriate punishment for a criminal driver a good deterrent to would-be hit-and-run drivers.
http://azbikelaw.org/blog/hit-and-run-in-arizona/#comment-42857
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http://azstarnet.com/news/local/crime/tucson-woman-given–month-in-jail-probation-in-deadly/article_c12adc5f-3635-5f6d-96e7-780772ef15b7.html
February 01, 2014 12:00 am • By Patrick McNamara1
A woman accused in the deadly hit-and-run of a pedestrian has been sentenced to one month in jail and three years’ probation.
Pima County Superior Court Judge Paul Tang sentenced Rebecca Lanette Valenzuela on Friday following her guilty plea to fleeing the scene of an accident in August.
Valenzuela was the driver of a van that struck and killed 29-year-old Angelic Monica Barnes, who was walking across Irvington Road near South Freemont Avenue. She was not in a crosswalk.
Dozens of Valenzuela’s family members filled the courtroom for Friday’s emotional and tear-filled sentencing.
Valenzuela and two passengers fled the crash scene and did not contact police until the following day.
Deputy Pima County Attorney Elizabeth Farkas asked the judge to impose the maximum sentence the plea agreement allowed, citing the pain and suffering the incident caused the victim and the family’s suffering.
Valenzuela’s attorney, Rubin Salter, said his client fled in a panic.
The prosecution and family members of Barnes also said Valenzuela attempted to cover up the incident by seeking to have the windshield replaced on her car the day after the crash. Salter said the characterization was inaccurate.
“The fact is, the person had been called to fix a windshield (on a different car) the day before this happened,” he said. “There was no intent to hide anything.”
Valenzuela apologized, saying she had taken responsibility for what she did. “I understand leaving the scene was not the right thing to do,” she said.
In addition to jail and probation, Valenzuela must perform 200 hours of community service, submit to drug and alcohol monitoring and continue any mental-health treatment.
Maria E NO, we WOULDN’T! How dare you???? Just because you and this Rebecca have no morals, doesn’t mean the rest of us don’t. The fact that you’re even trying to defend this abominable behavior is a slap in the face of the victim’s family and all of us who still have morals!!!!!
huesername “Could be wasted?” Oh, yeah, sure, that would of course be an acceptable excuse for killing another human being. “Sorry, I was wasted? Can I go now?”
WTF????