Manslaughter Charges Follow Death of Pedestrian In Tucson, AZ

Tucson, AZ (May 17, 2022) – In the case of a fatal pedestrian hit-and-run accident on Friday, May 13th, a suspect has been apprehended and is facing manslaughter charges.

A deputy from the Pima County Sheriff’s Office said a passerby reported a pedestrian being struck by a vehicle and seriously injured in the area of North Craycroft Road and East Sunrise Drive at about 6:30 a.m.  

35-year-old Bradley Schaffer is being charged with driving under the influence, manslaughter, and leaving the scene of a collision. He has been booked into the Pima County jail.

Upon their arrival, deputies located 52-year-old Rhett Wilbur with extremely critical injuries and began administering treatment. Tucson fire medics reported to the scene and rendered life-saving measures but he ultimately died due to the severity of his injuries.

Authorities learned that the vehicle involved had fled the scene prior to their arrival. As they began scouring the immediate location, someone reported seeing a suspicious vehicle abandoned in the area.

After an inspection, detectives said the vehicle had damage that was consistent with the crash and identified the suspect as Schaffer.

We would like to offer our deepest condolences to the family of the deceased victim, Mr. Rhett Wilbur, at this time.

Statute of Limitations for Wrongful Deaths in Arizona

It is important to keep in mind that, just like a personal injury claim, claims of wrongful death are subjected to a very strict deadline. In Arizona, certain surviving family members are given two years from the day of the death to bring a wrongful death claim if they hope to be qualified to collect financial compensation. 

If you fail to file before the statute expires, it may cause your case to be rejected by the court. Even though the statute of limitations is pretty much set in stone, there are certain scenarios after which a surviving family member may be permitted to bring a claim even after the statute of limitations has passed. A practiced and knowledgeable personal injury lawyer can readily evaluate your case and determine whether or not your claim is still valid. 

If the statute, as it pertains to your case, has not lapsed, then you will be able to begin the claims process. Initially, you will need to have your claim reviewed by a lawyer. Our attorneys are able to evaluate the legitimacy of your potential case and begin a thorough investigation into your loved one’s death right away. 

During their investigation, your lawyer will collect any evidence of negligence, review liability policies, and properly calculate the amount of financial recovery you are entitled to for your damages. This includes examining your loved one’s financial records to estimate their lost wages, potential earnings, and lapsed benefits as well as speaking with their doctors to establish the degree of pain and suffering prior to their death.

If your family member died from someone’s negligence, call our Arizona personal injury attorneys to schedule a no-obligation review with a member of our firm as soon as possible.

Note: Our writer used outside sources in the creation of this post. These sources include local news reports, local and state police incident reports, social media outlets, and eyewitness accounts about serious injury accidents that take place in Arizona. We have not independently verified all of the facts surrounding this accident. If you find any information that is not correct, contact Saavedra Law Firm, PLC as soon as possible so that we can correct the post to reflect the most accurate information available. We will remove this post upon request. 

Disclaimer: This post is not a solicitation for business. None of the information in this post is intended to be medical or legal advice. If you have been injured in an accident, seek the help of a medical professional. The photo used in this post was not taken at the actual accident scene.