In 2024, two men walking along Oracle Road in Oro Valley died of injuries when they were struck by moving vehicles.
Jeffrey L. Powell, 76, was hit by a vehicle on Oct. 28 at Oracle and Magee roads. He died the next day at Banner University Medical Center.
Last March 3, pedestrian James Bernard Bencke, 77, was struck by a vehicle entering from a private drive onto Oracle Road north of Magee Road. He succumbed to complications from his injuries on Nov. 7.
The fatalities prompted a plea to pedestrians and motorists from the Oro Valley Police Department.
“If you’re a pedestrian and you have the right of way,” you remain “vulnerable,” said Darren Wright, OVPD spokesperson. “You want to watch out and keep an eye on what other people are doing, because people make mistakes.”
Likewise, Wright said, motorists must “always be watching” for pedestrians. “Have your head on a swivel,” he said. “Pay attention to everything that’s going on.”
Near 5 p.m. that day, Powell was crossing Magee southbound on the west side of Oracle Road when he was struck by a 2016 Fiat 500 driven by Maria Wilson, 59.
Wilson was southbound on Oracle, turning west onto Magee. Powell stepped into the roadway from the northwest corner of the intersection, near the offices of WaFd Bank. One motorist swerved to avoid Powell; the next vehicle struck him, and he sustained a severe head injury.
Powell was transported by Golder Ranch Fire Department personnel to Banner University Medical Center. He died early the following day.
After the collision, Wilson stopped a short distance away. She told an OVPD officer she was “blinded by the sun and struck something, but she was unsure what she hit.”
A day later, an officer returned to the crash scene at the same time as the collision. “There was indeed a noticeable sun glare that could effect (sic) drivers,” the officer reported.
Wilson submitted to tests for drug or alcohol presence, and an officer’s report “ruled out impairment.”
Wilson faces a Class 1 misdemeanor charge, “causing serious injury or death by moving violation,” in Oro Valley Town Court. It carries potential penalties of up to six months in jail, up to $2,500 in fines, and up to three years’ probation. She is scheduled for arraignment on Wednesday, Feb. 19.
Powell’s family and friends placed placards and flowers at the scene. “RIP Uncle Jeff,” a sign reads. “Loved by so many in his community.” There are photos on the placards of Powell and his dog Bailey, a frequent companion, who is now with Powell’s family.
On social media, neighbor Ann Jansen described Powell as “a wonderful guy. Minded his business.”
Second fatality on Oracle
On March 3, Bencke was walking south along Oracle when he was struck by a 2015 Toyota driven by Elizabeth Rose Gawera. Gawera was entering Oracle from a driveway north of Cool Drive in Oro Valley. According to an obituary, Bencke was walking to the nearby Pima Canyon trailhead when he was hit.
The driver “believed the pedestrian was in a blind spot,” an OVPD report said. Gawera was under “no apparent influence” of drugs or alcohol at the time of the collision, the report said.
In a further tragic turn, Gawera died in December.
“The Oro Valley Prosecutor’s Office is committed to upholding the law and ensuring accountability for those that violate it,” it said in a prepared statement Jan. 27. “In this case, due to the passing of the defendant, we have decided not to continue to expend further public resources on this case.”
‘Keep an eye’ on walkers
Wright had further advice for motorists.
“When you pull into an intersection, scan the whole intersection, and keep an eye on where” pedestrians may be, “and where they may be crossing,” he said.
And, Wright noted, older pedestrians “take a little longer to get across.”
