A new analysis of federal traffic fatality data ranks Arizona among the nation’s most dangerous states for deadly hit-and-run crashes, underscoring the persistent toll of drivers who flee the scene of collisions.
Researchers at Andrew Pickett Law examined data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s Fatality Analysis Reporting System covering 2019 through 2024.
Arizona ranked eighth nationwide for per-capita risk, averaging 1.55 hit-and-run fatalities per 100,000 licensed drivers. During the six-year period, the state recorded 535 hit-and-run deaths among 7,081 total traffic fatalities.
Arizona also placed 11th nationally for the share of traffic deaths involving a fleeing driver, with hit-and-run crashes accounting for 7.56% of all vehicle crash fatalities.
New Mexico led the nation in per-capita risk, followed by Louisiana (1.84) and Tennessee (1.83). California recorded the highest percentage of overall traffic fatalities involving hit-and-run drivers at 11.01% followed by Hawaii (10.03%), and Nevada (9.81%).
“Leaving the scene of an accident is a critical public safety crisis that costs thousands of lives every year,” stated personal injury lawyer Andrew Pickett. “Drivers need to understand that panic is no excuse. Staying at the scene, rendering immediate aid, and contacting emergency services is a universal responsibility that can mean the difference between life and death for an injured victim.”
The findings align with a recent report from the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, which found that hit-and-run crashes nationwide accounted for more than 919,000 police-reported collisions, nearly 243,000 injuries, and 2,872 deaths in 2023.
Arizona’s most recent statewide figures paint a similar picture. In 2024, the state recorded 16,136 hit-and-run crashes, resulting in 4,202 injuries and 86 deaths. That total represented an increase of 488 incidents compared with 2023.
Arizona law imposes severe penalties for leaving the scene of a crash involving death or serious physical injury. A conviction for a Class 2 felony hit-and-run offense can carry a prison sentence of up to 12.5 years for a first-time offender, in addition to lengthy license suspension, including a 10-year revocation in fatal cases.
Ethan Faverino is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
Republican Rep. Abe Hamadeh (AZ-08) has initiated the process to impeach a dual citizen judge appointed by former President Joe Biden for abuse of judicial authority.
Hamadeh filed a resolution that would remove D.C. District Court Judge Sparkle Sooknanan, a dual citizen of the United States and Trinidad and Tobago.
The congressman filed the articles of impeachment in response to Sooknanan’s recent ruling in League of Women Voters v. U.S. Department of Homeland Security to halt a federal program creating a centralized database of citizen information collecting existent agency data on citizenship status and Social Security numbers in order to prevent noncitizen voter fraud in federal elections.
In a press release, Hamadeh contended Sooknanan had gone beyond the limited powers of the judiciary by imposing desired policy outcomes.
“This is a blatant and unlawful subversion of the President’s executive authority and a direct assault on election integrity,” said Hamadeh. “Judges who weaponize their bench to interfere with the President’s constitutional duties must be held accountable.”
🇺🇸NEW🇺🇸
Congressman Hamadeh Introduces Articles of Impeachment Against Judge Sparkle L. Sooknanan
— Office of Congressman Abe Hamadeh (@RepAbeHamadeh) July 9, 2026
The database was an intended expansion of the preexisting Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) program, an online service administered by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services enabling federal, state, local, territorial, and tribal agencies to check immigration and citizenship status.
Under the expanded SAVE program, the system would include records of natural-born citizens, provide access to Social Security Administration (SSA) records, and permit bulk searches of system records.
The program expansion was designed as the vehicle to satisfy President Donald Trump’s March 2025 executive order to improve citizenship verification for federal elections.
The SAVE program has existed in some form since the passage of the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986. In fiscal year 2025, the program processed nearly 200 million cases.
Sooknanan ruled that the intended expansion of the SAVE program into a centralized federal database violated three federal laws: the Social Security Act for SSA record-sharing, the Privacy Act for non-consensual disclosure of certain personal information, and the Administrative Procedure Act for “arbitrary and capricious” agency actions.
The impeachment resolution accused Sooknanan of judicial overreach: “substituting the judgment of a single unelected judge for that of the duly elected Executive Branch.”
Sooknanan rose up to her appointment as a district judge following a stand she allegedly took against the first Trump administration, publicized by The New York Times. Sooknanan reportedly took her stand in November 2020 after the law firm she worked for at the time, Jones Day, took on Trump as a client for one of the 2020 election lawsuits, just months after she made partner. Sooknanan left the firm shortly after Biden was sworn in as president. In August 2022, The New York Times ran its article.
The New York Times appears to have given Sooknanan a special feature within its reporting. However, Sooknanan wasn’t identified as a source.
Yet, Sooknanan was the only partner identified by name and quoted from what was likely intended to be a private, internal videoconference call for Jones Day partners addressing the firm’s involvement with Trump. Sooknanan was also given a brief blurb summarizing her background and career accomplishments.
“Sparkle Sooknanan, one of the firm’s young stars, also spoke up. Born in Trinidad and Tobago, she had set out to New York at age 16, paid her way through college and law school and landed clerkships for federal judges, including Justice Sonia Sotomayor,” stated The New York Times article. “Sooknanan had become a Jones Day partner earlier in the year at age 36. Now, on the call, her voice trembled as she denounced the firm’s work in Pennsylvania. ‘This lawsuit was brought for no other reason than to deprive poor people of the right to vote,’ she said.”
Shortly after Biden took office in January 2021, Sooknanan left Jones Day to become deputy associate attorney general in Biden’s Department of Justice.
By August 2022, someone had provided the broad details of that fateful 2020 Jones Day videoconference call to the biggest paper in the nation, with just one direct quote reportedly made by, as it would turn out, an aspiring district judge allegedly willing to denounce her former employer for working with Trump.
Between her prior clerkship with liberal Justice Sonia Sotomayor and her major media feature portraying her as a young, diverse, foreign-born lawyer willing to push back against Trump and cut ties with those allied with him, it appears Sooknanan may have been intentionally positioned as Biden’s ideal pick to take over a district court vacancy. Biden announced his intent to nominate Sooknanan to the D.C. District Court in February 2024.
During her confirmation hearing before the Senate, Sooknanan denied making those featured remarks in The New York Times.
“Those were not my words. I do not know who provided that quote to the reporter,” said Sooknanan.
AZ Free News is your #1 source for Arizona news and politics. You can send us news tips using this link.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture has issued two drought disaster designations covering several Arizona counties, making eligible farm operators in affected areas able to seek emergency loan assistance through the Farm Service Agency.
The designations name multiple Arizona counties as primary or contiguous natural disaster areas because of drought conditions, according to an announcement from Rep. Eli Crane’s office. The first designation, issued June 29, named Coconino and Maricopa counties as primary natural disaster areas. Gila, La Paz, Mohave, Navajo, Pima, Pinal, Yavapai, and Yuma counties were listed as contiguous counties.
In a post to X on Wednesday, Crane wrote, “The @USDA’s drought designations give our farmers and ranchers access to meaningful financial support during a difficult period. I appreciate @SecRollins and her team for recognizing the seriousness of these conditions and taking action.”
The @USDA’s drought designations give our farmers and ranchers access to meaningful financial support during a difficult period.
A second designation elevated Gila, Pinal, and Yuma counties to primary status. Coconino, Graham, La Paz, Maricopa, Navajo, Pima, and Yavapai counties were listed as contiguous counties under the second designation.
The determinations were made under 7 CFR 759.5(a), which provides for Secretarial disaster area designations when any portion of a county experiences D3, or extreme drought, or higher during the growing season, or D2, or severe drought, for at least eight consecutive weeks during the growing season of affected crops.
The Arizona Department of Water Resources says the U.S. Drought Monitor is the official record for federal drought relief claims. The department’s drought status page said Arizona’s Drought Monitoring Technical Committee advises U.S. Drought Monitor authors on current drought conditions in the state using precipitation, streamflow, drought indices, and impact data.
ADWR’s May drought status summary reported that severe short-term drought had advanced in Mohave, Coconino, Navajo, Gila, Maricopa, and Yavapai counties, covering 60% of the state, while extreme short-term drought expanded in Apache County. The department’s long-term drought update for January through March said Arizona experienced the hottest and 28th driest January-to-March period on record, as well as the hottest and 27th driest four-year period from April 2022 through March 2026.
Crane said the designations will give agricultural producers in affected counties access to federal assistance after years of drought pressure in rural Arizona.
“For years, rural Arizonans have faced worsening drought conditions without adequate federal assistance,” Crane said. “These designations finally give our farmers and ranchers access to meaningful financial support and help our producers during a difficult period.”
Crane thanked Agriculture Secretary Rollins and the USDA for recognizing the drought conditions and urged eligible applicants to work with their local Farm Service Agency office to determine whether low-interest loans could help offset recent losses.
Under Section 321(a) of the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act, USDA may extend disaster designations beyond counties that meet the drought criteria directly by naming neighboring counties as contiguous disaster areas. Crane’s office said both primary and contiguous classifications make farm operators eligible to be considered for FSA emergency loan assistance.
The FSA stated that emergency loans may be used to replace essential items such as equipment or livestock, reorganize a farming operation, or refinance certain debts. The agency reviews loan applications based on the extent of losses, available security, and repayment ability.
Farmers and ranchers in the affected counties have eight months from the date of their county’s listing to apply. Crane’s office said applicants should contact their local FSA office for help with the application process and required documentation.
Applicants with questions may also email FPAC.BC.Congressional@usda.gov and reference disaster designation number 2026N00000369 for the June 29 announcement or 2026N00000419 for the Monday announcement.
The National Republican Congressional Committee and Rep. Juan Ciscomani (R-AZ06) announced the opening of a new campaign field office in Sierra Vista as Republicans expand their ground operation in Arizona’s competitive Sixth Congressional District.
The NRCC described the office as a “Battlestation” that will serve as a hub for the grassroots effort to reelect Ciscomani. The committee said the office is part of a multimillion-dollar national investment intended to reach voters directly in competitive districts.
The NRCC said in a May campaign memorandum that more than 20 Battlestation offices were already operating across the country, with additional locations planned. The committee said the offices help candidates sharpen their campaigns and drive turnout through sustained voter contact.
After our amazing 250th celebration over the weekend, #TeamCiscomani was back on the road in Sierra Vista for the NRCC AZ06 BattleStation Office Grand Opening!
The energy is ELECTRIC in Cochise County! So grateful for the dozens of supporters who came out and thankful for their… pic.twitter.com/ruqFBP1S5K
“Twenty years ago, I became a United States citizen, and like everyday Arizonans, we’ve worked hard for what we have,” Ciscomani said. “That’s why I’m committed to working for the people we represent, and making their lives better.”
“From lower taxes for working people to bringing our tax dollars back to our community for law enforcement and roads, I am committed to putting Arizona first,” he added. “I’m grateful to the Cochise County community for their continued support as we work to make sure every Arizonan has the opportunity to achieve the American Dream.”
NRCC spokesman Ben Petersen said the office reflects the committee’s commitment to keeping Ciscomani in Congress.
“This Battlestation builds on our commitment to re-elect Representative Juan Ciscomani so he can continue taking on corruption and delivering wins like the largest working-class tax cut in generations,” Petersen said. “In stark contrast, Democrat lobbyist Joanna Mendoza showed she is completely out of touch, calling for tax hikes and higher costs while pushing far-left transgender policies.”
Mendoza has faced renewed criticism for a now-deleted video interview with the executive director of Equality Arizona in which she called for the decriminalization of prostitution, particularly for transgender women of color.
⚠️Arizona Democrat Joanna @Mendoza4AZ said “YES” to legalizing prostitution to benefit “trans women of color.”
Mendoza in 2020 interview with far-left group: “Yes…we need to stop criminalizing people for their situations.”
Mendoza, a retired Marine Corps drill instructor and former staff member for Democratic Rep. Tom O’Halleran, is the only Democratic candidate who qualified for the district’s July 21 primary election. The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee selected her for its Red to Blue program in February, giving her access to additional organizational, strategic and fundraising support.
Ciscomani was first elected to Congress in 2022 and won a second term in 2024 after defeating former Democratic state Sen. Kirsten Engel for the second time. The district covers much of southeastern Arizona, including portions of Tucson and Pinal County, and extends east to the New Mexico state line while including part of the Arizona-Mexico border.
The 2026 contest has attracted national attention because of its potential role in determining control of the closely divided House. Mike Noble, CEO of Noble Predictive Insights, told 13 News in April that the race would draw significant outside interest.
“Sit back, you’re going to watch one of the most competitive races in the country, and Arizona voters in the southern district will decide not only who wins that district, but probably who controls Congress,” Noble said.
The candidates have also accumulated multimillion-dollar campaign accounts. According to the Federal Election Commission, Ciscomani’s campaign reported approximately $6.17 million in total receipts and $4.14 million in cash on hand through July 1.
🚨Q2 Fundraising💪
JoAnna Mendoza is burning through CASH—spending more than she raised = 112% burn rate.
Meanwhile, thanks to our incredible supporters, we have a $1 MILLION cash-on-hand advantage.
Mendoza’s latest available FEC financial summary, covering activity through March 31, showed approximately $5.34 million in total receipts and $3.51 million in cash on hand. The two summaries cover different reporting periods.
The Arizona Supreme Court has reinstated injunctions limiting the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors’ ability to assign election duties legally entrusted to County Recorder Justin Heap. The court concluded Heap is likely to succeed on the central statutory-interpretation issue in the ongoing legal battle over county election administration.
In a July 7 en banc order, the court vacated a June 18 stay issued by the Arizona Court of Appeals and reinstated the Maricopa County Superior Court’s injunction orders, subject to temporary modifications intended to prevent disruption during the 2026 primary election.
The case, Heap v. Galvin, concerns provisions of Arizona election law assigning duties to “the county recorder or other officer in charge of elections.” Heap has argued that the language gives those responsibilities to the recorder or an officer designated by the recorder. The Board maintained that its administrative and budgetary powers allowed it to assign the functions to a Board-appointed elections director.
In a post on X, Heap wrote, “Today’s unanimous Arizona Supreme Court decision is a major victory for the rule of law. The Court restored the Superior Court’s injunction, rejected the Board’s legal theory, and reaffirmed that Arizona’s election laws mean what they say. We look forward to moving ahead and delivering secure, lawful, a successful elections.”
Unfortunately, this ruling DOES NOT end all litigation. So far the AzSC has overturned the Appellate Court's stay and reinstated the ruling of the Superior Court. The Board can still pursue its case on appeal. But the AzSC has now unanimiously stated that they agree with the…
— Maricopa County Recorder Justin Heap (@azjustinheap) July 8, 2026
The Supreme Court agreed with the Superior Court’s interpretation that the recorder has the authority to designate another official to perform those duties when necessary. The court rejected the Board’s contention that control over funding allowed supervisors to determine who would exercise the statutory functions.
Citing Arizona cases dating to 1956 and 1974, the court said, “the Board cannot use budgetary authority to usurp an independently elected officer’s statutory functions.”
Allowing the supervisors to appoint the official responsible for the duties would replace the Legislature’s direction that the recorder perform them, according to the order. The court concluded that the likelihood-of-success factor weighed in Heap’s favor on the central statutory question.
The ruling does not conclude the underlying appeal. It determines which injunctions will remain in effect while the litigation proceeds and indicates how the Supreme Court views the parties’ likelihood of prevailing on the statutory issue.
The dispute originated in Maricopa County Superior Court, where Judge Scott Blaney held an evidentiary hearing in January. In an April 16 ruling, later incorporated into an appealable May 18 order, Blaney defined the respective responsibilities of the recorder and supervisors.
The Superior Court found that the Board has a nondiscretionary obligation to fund all necessary expenses of the recorder. It also ordered the return of IT personnel, servers, databases, software, websites and equipment that had been under the Recorder’s Office’s control before October 2024, or funding sufficient to replace those resources.
The ruling further prohibited the Board from exercising duties delegated by statute to the recorder. Questions concerning individual expenses and funding levels were left for good-faith negotiations between the offices.
The Superior Court denied the Board’s request to stay those injunctions on May 13. The Board appealed, arguing that implementing the order during an election cycle would disrupt poll-worker supervision, early-voting operations, ballot tabulation, information technology systems and other election procedures.
A divided Court of Appeals granted the Board’s emergency stay on June 18, relying heavily on the principle established by the U.S. Supreme Court in Purcell v. Gonzalez. That principle urges courts to exercise caution when ordering changes to election procedures close to an election because of the potential for confusion and operational disruption.
The Arizona Supreme Court found that the Court of Appeals gave the Purcell principle too much weight and failed to conduct the full four-factor analysis required under Arizona law when considering a stay.
The court said Purcell remained relevant to questions of timing, feasibility, and public consequences, particularly because early voting in the 2026 primary was already underway. It did not, however, determine which official possessed statutory authority or replace the required analysis of the parties’ likelihood of succeeding on appeal.
The Supreme Court found that the Court of Appeals abused its discretion by granting the stay. To limit disruptions, the justices reinstated the injunctions as modified by a 12-point interim operational protocol proposed by Heap for the primary election.
According to an Arizona Supreme Court news release, the temporary procedures are intended to preserve continuity while the appeal moves forward. The court said neither its order nor the modified injunctions interfere with the public’s ability to vote in the primary or general elections.
Either party may ask the Court of Appeals for additional temporary modifications. If those requests require new factual findings, the appeals court may return the matter to Superior Court for further proceedings.
The Supreme Court also denied Heap’s request for sanctions against Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell, who submitted an amicus brief in the case. The denial does not prevent either side from seeking sanctions later against an official who interferes with legally prescribed election procedures or fails to perform required duties.
The order took effect immediately. Heap called the ruling a victory for his office and said it restored the Superior Court injunctions.
“Today’s unanimous decision is a decisive victory for the rule of law,” Heap said in a statement released by the Recorder’s Office. He said his office was prepared to implement the order and administer the county’s elections. “In addition, it rejected the Board’s central legal arguments and made clear that the Recorder is likely to prevail on the merits. My office is ready to implement the Court’s order and deliver secure, lawful, and professional elections for the people of Maricopa County.”
Board Chair Kate Brophy McGee and Vice Chair Debbie Lesko said in a joint statement that they were disappointed by the decision and concerned about administrative changes during an ongoing election. They said county officials had reached a consensus following two days of court-ordered mediation shortly before the ruling.
“The Board will follow the law and abide by the court’s decision,” Brophy McGee and Lesko said. They added that the county’s 2.6 million voters remained their primary concern.
In a subsequent release, Heap announced that he had submitted what his office called “a court-aligned settlement proposal” to Judge Coury and the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors.
“This proposal builds upon the framework developed during court-ordered mediation and more fully aligns the parties’ respective responsibilities with Arizona law and the direction provided by both the Superior Court and the Arizona Supreme Court,” Heap said.
“This agreement will provide a clearer operational framework designed to reduce future conflict and ensure the smooth, secure administration of elections for all Maricopa County voters,” he added. “I look forward to the Board’s cooperation with the Supreme Court and Superior Court’s orders as we finalize this agreement built upon respect for the rule of law.”
An Arizona mother went viral after objecting to a Phoenix Public Library storytime featuring a book she says encourages children to discuss their underwear with strangers.
Ms. Manjarrez posted a video to social media questioning why a public library would read a book encouraging preschool children to show off their underwear to strangers. Manjarrez said the book was “What Color Is Your Underwear?” by Sam Lloyd, first published in 2004.
In the book, animal characters lift up their clothes to reveal their underwear; at the end of the book, the final character is revealed to not be wearing any underwear at all.
“Why is it anybody’s business on what color underwear you have on, whether you’re adult or especially a child?” asked Manjarrez in her video.
Manjarrez claimed she was the only parent who left the storytime before it was over.
“I can’t be the only parent that got up and thought that was a completely inappropriate book for kids,” said Manjarrez.
A user, Mou Isabelle Phung, claimed in a comment that her molester used an underwear-exposure conversation similar to what the book portrays to molest her for the first time. Multiple other users attested in their comments that something similar happened to them.
“My first experience of a sexual encounter was me being five years old and being asked what color my underwear was so take that as you will,” said Phung.
A staff member at the Phoenix Public Library branch where the storytime occurred, Burton Barr Central Library, reportedly told Manjarrez that their literacy outreach librarian, Grethcen Wetter, coordinates storytimes.
A representative with Phoenix Public Library, Wendy Resnik, later told Manjarrez in an email that the book was “age-appropriate” and “lighthearted,” and intended only to “teach colors, animal identification, and prediction skills.”
“Although the title can sound surprising out of context, the content is silly, playful, and widely enjoyed by many families,” said Resnik. “The humor is entirely innocent and geared toward toddlers, focusing on silly visuals like a frog in green briefs or a horse in red boxers.”
It is unclear whether Resnik used AI to craft the email, or simply never reviewed the book herself. The book doesn’t depict a frog wearing green briefs, and nowhere does the word “briefs” appear in the book, though the first page does depict a horse wearing red boxers. The closest depiction to a frog in the book is the turtle character, depicted wearing purple underwear. AI is known for hallucinating information in its responses.
Resnik, wife of 12News political reporter Brahm Resnik, has served as the youth services coordinator for Phoenix Public Library for over 14 years.
Manjarrez stated in the caption of a video sharing the email that Resnik’s response greatly concerned her.
“I’m f——- livid because out of all the ways [to] teach children colors she thinks it’s acceptable to teach children colors through the colors of their damn underwear?” said Manjarrez.
Arizona Women of Action (AWOA) issued a statement on Manjarrez’s video, agreeing with the mother’s assessment of the book as problematic.
“Parents must speak up and demand accountability,” stated AWOA. “Protecting children’s innocence isn’t optional — it’s our responsibility.”
According to the library’s calendar, one of the city of Phoenix’s four Families First Resource Centers (FFRC) hosted the storytime. The center uses the Scholastic company’s Read and Rise programming to source the books, reportedly designed for children ranging in age from birth to five.
Phoenix’s FFRCs rely on grant funding from First Things First (FTF), the organization funded by the state through the approximately $150 million a year it collects from taxes on tobacco products.
FTF is run by its statewide board whose members are appointed by the governor, the Arizona Early Childhood Development and Health Board, and volunteers through 28 regional partnership councils.
The Phoenix South Regional Partnership Council, which oversees the area containing the Burton Barr Central Library branch, received nearly $17 million this fiscal year and the last, of which nearly $2 million was allotted to family resource centers.
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