John H. Stettler (Mohave County Sheriff’s Office)
A 40-year-old man in Arizona was arrested last week after he allegedly killed his ex-girlfriend, intentionally crashing a “go-kart type” vehicle into an all-terrain vehicle (ATV) being driven by the 32-year-old woman. John H. Stettler was taken into custody on July 28 and charged with one count of second-degree murder per domestic violence in the slaying of Sally Minard, authorities announced.
According to a press release from the Mohave County Sheriff’s Office, deputies at about 1:36 a.m. on Friday, July 28 responded to a report regarding a vehicular collision in the area of Driftwood Drive and Boathouse Drive, which is located about 250 miles northwest of Phoenix.
However, unlike most vehicular collisions, the reported crash that occurred involved a quad ATV and what police described only as a “go-kart type vehicle,” per the release.
Upon arriving at the scene, first responders located Minard, who they said was the driver of the quad ATV. Minard suffered “severe injuries” from the crash and was immediately transported across the state’s border with Nevada to Las Vegas Hospital for medical treatment, per the release. Unfortunately, she succumbed to her injuries shortly after arriving at the facility and sheriff’s detectives were notified that she had been pronounced dead.
MCSO detectives and investigators with the Accident Reconstruction Team were dispatched to the scene of the collision and began looking into the circumstances of the fatal crash.
Investigators said they identified the other party involved in the collision as Stettler, a resident of Meadview. Stettler was allegedly operating the go-cart vehicle that collided with Minard. He was not seriously injured in the crash.
“During the investigation, it was determined that the collision was a criminal act, not just a vehicle collision,” the press release states.
Additionally, detectives said they learned that Minard and Stettler had been involved in a romantic relationship prior to the deadly crash. It was not immediately clear how long the two dated or when their relationship ended.
Investigators have not revealed how they were able to determine that the crash was intentional. MCSO did not immediately respond to an email from Law&Crime seeking additional details concerning the collision and what indicated that it was a criminal act.
At the conclusion of the preliminary investigation, authorities took Stettler into custody without incident and charged him with Minard’s murder. He was booked into the Mohave County Adult Detention Facility where he is currently being held in lieu of $300,000 bond.
The sheriff’s office emphasized that the investigation into the crash remains ongoing.
Have a tip we should know? [email protected]
