Teen Faces Murder Charge In Tucson Crash That Killed 48-Year-Old Man

TUCSON, AZ — A 16-year-old Tucson driver is facing a second-degree murder charge after police say he was speeding above 85 mph on a suspended license in a crash that killed a 48-year-old man.

Tucson police arrested the teen on April 30, eight days after the April 22 crash at South Tucson Boulevard and South Forgeus Avenue.

He has since been booked into the Pima County Juvenile Detention Center and faces charges of second-degree murder, criminal damage, criminal speeding and driving on a suspended license.

The charges stem from the April 22 crash, when Tucson police and fire crews responded around 8:30 p.m. to a two-vehicle collision.

Firefighters had to extricate Richard Eugene Bracamonte, 48, from his Hyundai Ioniq after it was struck on the driver's side.

He was taken to a hospital with life-threatening injuries and later died, police said.

The teen driver of the other vehicle, a Cadillac XTS, was treated for minor injuries.

Witness accounts and physical evidence indicated the teen was traveling northbound on Tucson Boulevard at a high rate of speed before the Cadillac slammed into the driver's side of Bracamonte's Hyundai as it attempted a left turn from South Forgeus Avenue.

Investigators identified excessive speed as the primary cause of the crash. Bracamonte's failure to yield while making the turn was noted as a secondary factor.

Impairment was ruled out. An officer from the Tucson Police Department's Impaired Driving Enforcement Unit evaluated the teen at the hospital and determined he was not under the influence of alcohol or drugs at the time of the crash.

The investigation is ongoing, and police say additional information may be released as it becomes available.