Yarnell woman dies after car collision involving Yavapai County sergeant

A woman was killed after being hit by a car driven by a Yavapai County sergeant on Highway 89 on Aug. 26.

County officials said Donna Gordon, 74, was struck while crossing the street on Highway 89 and Post Street in Yarnell.

The driver, YCSO Sgt. Dakota Brinkley, had been driving home when the collision happened.

"YCSO has asked the Department of Public Safety’s Vehicular Crimes Unit to investigate the incident and interview eyewitnesses," officials said.

Impairment is not believed to be a factor in the collision.

MORE: Community meeting held in Yarnell following deadly crash involving YCSO sergeant

yarnell deputy involved ax 4 courtesy Chris Crane

A woman was killed after being hit by a car driven by a Yavapai County sergeant on Highway 89 on Aug. 26. (Chris Crane)

DPS provides report on fatal crash

The Arizona Department of Public Safety has released a preliminary report on the deputy-involved crash that left Donna Gordon dead.

According to the report, Gordon left Gilligan's Restaurant on the north side of Highway 89 and headed towards her car, which was parked on the southbound side. Gordon walked across the four-lane highway when she was hit by Sgt. Brinkley, who swerved in his Chevrolet Tahoe to avoid try to avoid her.

"According to witnesses on record, Sgt. Brinkley attempted to avoid the victim who was walking across the roadway ‘at a quick pace and not looking at the traffic’, and that the YCSO vehicle ‘did not appear to be traveling faster than thirty-five miles an hour’ – the posted speed limit," the report states.

After the collision, Sgt. Brinkley stopped his vehicle and attempted life-saving measures on Gordon, who later died at a hospital.

During the DPS investigation, Sgt. Brinkley consented to field sobriety tests by a trooper, who said he "did not note clues or note any signs or symptoms of impairment." A second trooper interviewed Sgt. Brinkley and also said he displayed no signs of impairment. Blood and urine tests on Sgt. Brinkley later confirmed "no evidence of any foreign substances."

"Sgt. Brinkley stated that he was neither on his cell phone nor his vehicle computer at the time of the accident, this was confirmed through internal analysis," the report stated. "His statements in the preliminary report show that he witnessed the victim crossing the road from the north to the southside looking straight ahead. However, when it became, clear Ms. Gordon was going to continue crossing, he was forced to swerve to avoid a collision but was unable to do so."

DPS says their investigation is ongoing.

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