Man says undercover DEA agent ran red light, hit his wife’s car
By DAVID CALTABIANO
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TOLLESON, Arizona (KPHO, KTVK) — A Valley veteran says an undercover DEA agent t-boned his wife’s car. The family said that the agent ran a red light earlier this month which sent the wife to urgent care and totaled her car.
Jackie Ramirez’s husband, Hector, told Arizona’s Family that she had the green light at 27th Avenue and Buckeye Road in Phoenix when an undercover agent sped through a red light and hit her. Now, the Ramirez family has questions about the agency’s protocol and urges them to take responsibility.
“No lights, no sirens,” said Hector.
He says this accident has no accountability. What Phoenix police called a minor collision, Hector said his wife’s car was totaled. Jackie believes the undercover agent was chasing someone on the wrong side of the road when he ran the red light and collided with her, but a spokesperson for the DEA pushed back against the claim stating, “There was not a chase or a pursuit. Our agent was conducting surveillance and was involved in a traffic accident.”
Hector, however, disagrees. “It baffles me because it seems they were going at a high rate of speed, and one of my agents told my wife that “they were chasing a dangerous felon” so that contradicts everything he says.”
There are also questions of protocol the DEA wouldn’t answer. ASU Criminology and Criminal Justice Professor Mike Scott wants to know if the agent ran the red light on accident or on purpose.
“Meaning that the DEA agent might have felt there was a need to go through the light to maintain contact with a person and that, of course, raises a lot of questions about the precautions that are taken and questions about the risks that are presented when police commit any traffic violation,” said Scott.
Hector thinks it could have been worse. “Imagine if there was a family walking through the intersection, they probably wouldn’t have made it.”
Thankfully, his wife is in good shape, but this Army vet is still searching for accountability from the DEA.
“We just want answers, you know. No apology. Nobody reached out. That’s all we wanted. An apology, somebody reached out. We were in the wrong. Here ya go,” said Hector.
The DEA would not confirm or deny if the agent ran the red light at the intersection. The agency would also not tell Arizona’s Family if the agent intentionally ran the red light. Phoenix police only stated that this was a minor collision and said a public records request must be filed for more details.
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