SCOTTSDALE — Scottsdale police say a woman is dead after an alleged drunk driver hit a rideshare vehicle near Hayden and Cactus roads Friday night.
The rideshare vehicle had three people inside — the 56-year-old male rideshare driver, 58-year-old Dawn Paugh, and her husband Tom Paugh. All three were taken to the hospital. Dawn Paugh did not survive her injuries.
Scottsdale police say the couple was on their way to a get-together at a friend's house when the crash took place.
The driver of the other vehicle, 48-year-old Joshua Grabek, had minor injuries and was taken to the hospital as a precaution.
Grabek was booked for manslaughter, aggravated assault, aggravated DUI (driving the wrong way), and endangerment charges.
"This incident is another reminder of the harmful impact an impaired driver can have on other people," said Scottsdale Police Officer Aaron Bolin in a release. "Driving impaired is 100% preventable. Pre-arrange a rideshare option, designate a sober driver or take a taxi."
🚨#TrafficUpdate Investigators will be out at the scene for several hours. Hayden Rd will remain CLOSED for both north & south traffic between Cactus & Sweetwater during that time. https://t.co/I8RUNWQYQK
— ScottsdalePD (@ScottsdalePD) December 31, 2022
Bridgette St.Hilaire drove by the scene of the accident that Friday night and felt a rush of anxiety.
While she didn’t know the couple involved in the crash, she went through her own crash that involved a man suspected of a DUI. That suspect, according to city records, is going through the courts for an extreme DUI, blowing a .15 to .19.
“I just think about their families right now and it really is heartbreaking that someone makes a bad decision, and it completely affects the lives of so many other people. It makes me want to cry, to be honest,” she told ABC15.
In late August, St.Hilaire said her crash was a chain reaction. She was at a red light when a suspected drunk driver hit the car behind her, then that car hit her. She was glad her vehicle didn’t go into the intersection, otherwise, there may have been a “horrific” outcome.
“There are so many options now. There’s really no excuse,” she said of any accidents that involve people under the influence.
St.Hilaire said she is more of a defensive driver now and still feels anxious when she has to go through that same intersection.
ABC15 spoke to Dawn's sister, Heather Hassan, who says her sister was beloved by the Valley community and anyone she interacted with.
"I felt very proud to be her sister," said Hassan.
She said the joy of her sister's life was her twin children, Blake and Arden.
"She was so proud of them and really looking forward to their futures," said Hassan.
After nearly 30 years together, Dawn and her husband Tom decided to celebrate their anniversary last Friday.
"They felt like they didn’t want to go out on New Years' Eve because they didn’t want to be out with all the drunk drivers, and so they decided to celebrate a night early," said Hassan.
Days later, Tom is still in the hospital getting surgery and looking at a long recovery now without Dawn.
Hassan told ABC15 the family is left shocked and angry.
"The fact that this person is so selfish and had such a (high) blood alcohol limit just after seven o'clock at night is pretty disturbing, and it's disgusting what he did to my sister," said Hassan.
The suspect in the deadly crash reportedly had a BAC over two times the legal limit.
She is hoping speaking out will prevent someone else from driving drunk.
"It's just an app on your phone," said Hassan. "It costs a few dollars to get from point A to point B. Pay the money and don’t kill somebody."
Dawn's family has set up a fundraiser to help the family with expenses.
