An 18-year-old man in Arizona has been arrested after crashing his vehicle into his ex’s house. Police say that the crash was “intentional” and that one of the victims inside the home was previously in a relationship with the driver for about six months. According to court records, the man admitted that he wanted to get revenge for the “cheating and lying that occurred” during the relationship.
Driver admitted to taking eight Xanax tablets before the crash
On August 16 at around 1:45 a.m., 18-year-old Collin Knight drove his red Hyundai Elantra through the brick wall of his ex’s room in a home near East Baseline Road and South Windsor street, according to police based on reports by Arizona Daily Star and Arizona’s Family.
Three people were sleeping in the room at the time, with the youngest 14-year-old victim getting trapped beneath the car and covered in engine coolant. The collision was a targeted attack and a suicide attempt, according to police.
“The car came through the wall right where all three of them were sleeping,” the homeowner and mother of one of the victims said. “He picked up a brick, looked directly at my son, threw it at him, and hit him in the chest.”
Knight ran on foot from the scene after the crash, but detectives caught him and took him into custody.
Court records say that the driver admitted during a medical evaluation that he smoked marijuana “the entire day and had ingested approximately eight Xanax bars.” He admitted to officers that “what he had done was wrong,” saying that he wanted to “cause destruction” to his ex over alleged “cheating and lying.”
“He was somebody that came over a lot,” the mother explained. “My son would go over to his house. They were all — he was part of the big friend group, you know. And they just had a falling out earlier this year and hadn’t spoken to him in a few months until this.”
Knight has been charged on multiple counts of endangerment and aggravated assault, along with separate counts for criminal damage and leaving the scene of the crime. Police say that one charge related to driving under the influence is pending.
He has been held on a $50,000 bond and is due in court for a preliminary hearing on August 25.
