Arizona man arrested 8 months after hit-and-run kills transportation worker, injures another

Authorities have arrested a hit-and-run suspect eight months after a man was killed and another injured in Arizona.

On Mar. 3 around 3 a.m., two Maricopa County Department of Transportation workers, Gustav Danielson, 37, and an unidentified 35-year-old colleague, were on a roadway removing barriers that were put up following an earlier car crash.

As they worked, a surveillance video captured a silver Dodge Ram striking the two and then speeding away from the scene. Danielson died and the second victim was admitted to the hospital in stable condition.

Police recently booked Timothy James Valdivia on multiple charges, including leaving the scene of an accident, failure to render aid after an accident, making a false report to law enforcement, and failure to give information, KNXV-TV reported, citing an arrest report.

Court documents state Valdivia allegedly told investigators his truck was stolen a day prior to the hit-and-run, and the vehicle was found a short time later with front-end damage.

Cell tower data allegedly shows Valdivia’s cell phone was at the site of the crime scene when it happened and again hours later.

Court documents stated that while Valdivia did not admit to the incident, he allegedly told investigators he was drinking the night of the deadly hit-and-run and said that “anything is possible.”

“These men were simply doing their job, removing street barricades from a crash zone… when a pickup truck struck them. This is a tragedy that could have been avoided,” Maricopa County Supervisor Clint Hickman said.