Arizona Watcher
Heather Kerr has launched a campaign urging lawmakers to impose tougher penalties for extreme speeding after her husband was killed in a Mesa crash; she is pushing the issue as the related criminal case proceeds.
Jeremy Kerr, 51, was an Army Ranger who survived the 1993 Battle of Mogadishu; he and his family lived in Mesa. He died on February 23, 2025, when his vehicle was struck in a traffic collision.
Investigators say the crash occurred as Jeremy Kerr was turning left from Weir Road onto Signal Butte Road and that a Dodge Challenger struck his vehicle; reports allege the Challenger was traveling 113 mph.
The driver, identified as 23-year-old Matthew Kelliher, is the subject of a criminal inquiry and is due at a court hearing this week where prosecutors may offer a plea deal; Heather Kerr plans to attend.
Heather says the family was denied certain Veterans Affairs benefits because Jeremy Kerr was not on active duty at the time of the crash, a denial she says has compounded the family's practical and financial challenges.
In response to her husband's death and the legal hurdles, Heather is drafting legislation to stiffen penalties for extreme speeding and is consulting community members and advocates to close gaps in current law.
Jeremy James Kerr's memorial service was held March 8, 2025, in Mesa. The family requested donations be made to the Three Rangers Foundation in lieu of flowers.
A Mesa woman is pressing lawmakers for stricter penalties on speeding after her husband, an Army Ranger who survived the 1993 Battle of Mogadishu, was killed in a February 2025 crash. The driver, a 23-year-old man alleged to have been driving 113 mph, is expected at a hearing…