Beloved Chandler mixologist dies in wrong way crash on I-10
CHANDLER, Ariz. - A man has died following a wrong-way crash along Interstate 10 in Chandler.
According to the Arizona Department of Public Safety, the crash happened just after midnight on Feb. 10 when a vehicle that was traveling eastbound in the westbound lanes crashed head-on into another vehicle near Chandler Boulevard.
31-year-old Robert William Kramer was driving the vehicle that was hit by the wrong-way driver. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
The wrong-way driver, a 25-year-old woman of Phoenix, was taken to a hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, DPS said.
Impairment is suspected in the crash.
Victim was a beloved Valley bartender
Robert "Bobby" Kramer was the food and beverage director for the Brickyard Downtown and the Hidden House in Chandler. He was also known as a top mixologist. If you ever had a night out in downtown Chandler, he most likely fixed you a handcrafted cocktail.
Bobby was also an eight-year Navy veteran who served in Operation Enduring Freedom.
His loved ones are devastated over the loss of a good friend.
"I think that was his biggest talent to be honest, his charm, and charism, and just paying attention to the details of what people wanted," said Jonathan Buford, owner of Arizona Wilderness Brewing Company. "You could walk into the Brickyard on a Tuesday and he'd remember you and your drink. We just lost a big part of our community. I'll miss it forever, and I know that people who went to the Brickyard and who knew Bobby are going to have that hole in their heart."
Justin Evans, owner of the Sleepy Whale, said Bobby was a staple in the community.
"He was an anchor in our community in the food and beverage industry," said Evans. "I think the thing a lot of us think about right now is just his son, Arthur, and his wife not having Bobby home."
Support the Bobby Kramer Memorial Fund here.
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