UPCO neighbor arrested after evacuation
by Ambria Hammel
DEER VALLEY - A county island resident who lives within a mile of
the Goodrich Corp/ UPCO (Universal Propulsion Co.) facility at Central
Avenue and Happy Valley Road was arrested March 13 when attempting
to return home following the evacuation of the area after a mid
morning explosion and fire at the plant. The chemical explosion
blew the roof off a 10,000 square foot building at approximately
10:55 a.m. and forced evacuation of the UPCO facilities and the
nearby neighborhood until late afternoon.
Valerie Crawford was arrested and booked into Madison Street Jail
for failure to obey a public officer. Her neighbors posted $400
bond and she was out six hours later, but Crawford must appear in
court at a later date to face criminal traffic charges.
Sgt. Kip Rustenburg, spokes person for the Maricopa County Sheriff's
Office, said she could have been charged with going around a barricade
as well. According to Rustenburg, Deputy Glen Powe pulled Crawford
over after a uniformed deputy instructed her not to go through,
but she proceeded to pass one of two preliminary barricades at 19th
Avenue and Happy Valley Road.
"It was very well marked," Rustenburg said. Crawford tried
to go home earlier in the day between 11:30 and 11:45 a.m. and was
told she could not get in. She returned to work, but by 3:30 p.m.,
was desperate to get home to tend to her animals and get medication.
She said she called Phoenix Police and the Sheriff's Office and
no one could specify when the neighborhood would be reopened. "My
anticipation and my angst is starting to get a little higher,"
Crawford said as she recalled the events.
She left work and reached 19th Avenue and Happy Valley Road at approximately
3:45 p.m. where Crawford said she saw three vehicles exiting the
neighborhood. She was talking to her neighbor, Lynn Andreasen, on
her cell phone at the time. Andreasen said she entered the neighborhood
from the same entry point between 2 and 2:30 p.m. without incident.
Andreasen heard the entire conversation between Crawford and the
deputy as Crawford drove around a barricade, was pulled over and
arrested at 3:45 p.m.
"I feel really bad for her because none of us had trouble,"
Said Andreasen, who followed her husband into the neighborhood.
She also knows of at least one other neighbor who reportedly drove
in a few cars behind Crawford without incident.
According to a letter from Goodrich/UPCO, Phoenix Fire lifted the
evacuation and residents were allowed to return home before 5 p.m.
Crawford's arrest is the only one confirmed relating to the incident.
|
