A west Phoenix intersection became the scene of a life-threatening hit-and-run early Sunday, and investigators say a passing motorist’s quick actions helped lead authorities to a suspect. Police arrested 34-year-old Yamin Nameye after detectives tied parts found at the crash scene to his vehicle and matched a license plate reported by a witness who followed the car after the collision.
The collision occurred around 2 a.m. on Camelback Road just east of 43rd Avenue, where authorities say a Kia Sedona traveling west failed to stop for a red light and struck a woman who was crossing the street on a green walk signal. The impact left the pedestrian with severe injuries, and responders rushed her to a hospital with what investigators described as life-threatening wounds.
Wrecked white sedan on a west Phoenix roadway, cordoned off with police tape after a hit-and-run collision investigators say occurred on Camelback Road.
Court records filed in the case detail the victim’s injuries as including internal bleeding, multiple lower-body trauma and unstable vital signs — specifically, fluctuating heart rate and blood pressure. At the time those records were filed she remained hospitalized and authorities said her survival was uncertain.
After the crash, investigators say the driver of the Sedona did not stop. Another motorist at the scene began following the suspected vehicle while on the phone with 911 and relayed the license plate number to the dispatcher. According to the police account, the Sedona turned south on 59th Avenue, where the witness eventually lost sight of it. Detectives later used the license plate information to identify an address connected to the registered owner.
Detectives established surveillance at an apartment complex linked to the registration. On Tuesday, officers observed a man, later identified as Nameye, enter a Kia Sedona and leave the complex. Patrol units stopped the vehicle and took him into custody. A booking photograph released by authorities shows the person arrested in connection with the case.
Booking photo released by the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office of the person arrested in connection with a west Phoenix hit-and-run.
In an interview with detectives after his arrest, Nameye acknowledged that he had struck something along the side of the road two days before the crash but said he could not recall precisely where or what had been hit, court filings show. Investigators say parts recovered from the Camelback Road collision matched components from the Sedona associated with Nameye, a detail that factored into the decision to book him on criminal charges.
Prosecutors charged Nameye with one count of felony hit-and-run and one misdemeanor count of causing an accident that results in physical injury. He was booked into the county jail and a judge later set bond at $150,000. Court records reviewed by investigators also list prior arrests for offenses including aggravated assault, failure to comply with a court order, criminal damage and assault, and show that he is the subject of an active order of protection.
Investigators continue to handle the case through the criminal justice process while the injured pedestrian remains under hospital care. Authorities have said the investigation included matching vehicle parts from the scene to the sedan tied to Nameye, and the witness who followed the car and provided the license plate was a key element that allowed detectives to quickly narrow the search and identify a residence linked to the vehicle’s registration.
This matter remains under investigation as officials work through the charging process and as the victim receives medical treatment. No additional arrests have been announced in connection with the Camelback Road collision, and court proceedings have been scheduled in the case against the man arrested on the hit-and-run and related charges.