Phoenix man booked after wrong-way crash kills 10-year-old

Richard Blackstar, 59, was booked into jail Oct. 15 on one count each of second-degree murder and aggravated assault after a fatal wrong-way crash in Phoenix, according to local news reports. He had been released from the hospital. The charges are allegations, not a conviction.

The crash occurred shortly after 11 a.m. Oct. 14 near 18th and Washington streets in Phoenix. Reports say a pickup driven by Blackstar was traveling the wrong way on Washington Street when it struck a Nissan Sentra. The Sentra’s 10-year-old passenger died the next day. Its 34-year-old driver was reported in critical condition in Oct. 16 coverage.

FOX 10, citing Phoenix police and court documents, reported that Blackstar was accused of driving impaired and that the documents listed his blood-alcohol concentration as 0.181%. The station reported he appeared before a judge and was held on a $250,000 cash bond. His next court appearance was scheduled for Oct. 21.