Arizona Man Allegedly Shot Girlfriend To Death In Truck After Car Accident

An Arizona man is accused of shooting his girlfriend to death after he was involved in a vehicle collision. 

Joseph Brandon Gourley, 45, faces a first-degree murder charge for the Friday murder of Jessica Garcia, 36, a press release from the Tucson Police Department announced.

On Friday afternoon, a Dodge truck and Kia Soul collided on a busy roadway in the eastern part of the city, near the University of Arizona Medical Center and St. Joseph's hospital. Gourley was driving the truck and Garcia was a passenger in his vehicle, according to police. Two other people were in the Kia. 

Police were notified of the crash but, before they arrived, the accident became more than just a collision.

“Before officers arrived on the scene, witnesses observed an adult male exit the truck and [he] left the area on foot,” the press release states.

Garcia was found by the first responding officer inside the truck, unresponsive and suffering with “apparent signs of gunshot trauma.” She was transferred to St. Joseph's Hospital — across the street from the crash site — where she was pronounced dead shortly thereafter.

Detectives determined in the course of their investigation that Gourley allegedly shot Garcia after the crash as he was getting out of the truck, and subsequently left the scene. 

He was found in a yard nearby the crash site and detained by officers.

The occupants of the Kia were transported to St. Joseph's Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. 

The collision and subsequent shooting halted traffic on Friday afternoon as officials urged the public to seek alternate routes.

Gourley is currently being held in Pima County Jail on first degree murder charges in lieu of a $1 million bond. Police say that additional charges may be brought against him after the conclusion of the investigation.

It is not clear if he has an attorney.

It is also not clear what the motive behind the allegedly shooting may have been.