88-year-old woman killed after man crashes vehicle into Gilbert senior living facility
GILBERT, Ariz. - An 88-year-old woman was killed after a driver crashed into a Gilbert senior living facility.
It happened just after 10 o’clock last night near Lindsay and Guadalupe roads.
Police say Mary Lillian Haapala was inside the building when the vehicle slammed straight into the wall of American Orchards Senior Community around 10:00 p.m. on Jan. 10.
Joshua Michael Degolier, 33, the alleged driver, fled the scene after the crash but was eventually arrested on three counts, including second degree murder.
Police believed he was impaired at the time of the crash.
Watch FOX 10 Phoenix live:
Tire marks in the parking lot can still be seen in front of the home.
The car crashed into the Heartwood Building of the memory care facility.
Video footage of the incident shows a massive hole in the wall that was created by the crash.
The hole has since been boarded up.
"We are saddened by this tragic loss of life and extend our deepest condolences to her friends, family, and loved ones," Gilbert Police Sergeant Lorenzo Teruya said in a release.
We have reached out to American Orchards for comment. It is still unclear what Joshua Degolier’s relation to the facility is.