Man dies following hit-and-run in Flowing Wells

A pedestrian who was struck near North Flowing Wells Road and West Roger Road died two days later, turning a late night crash on Tucson’s west side into a fatal hit and run investigation. The Pima County Sheriff’s Department said Brandon James-Higdon, 42, was hit at about 11 p.m. on Oct. 31 and taken to a local hospital with life threatening injuries. He died on Nov. 2. The driver, Eric Anson Taylor, 50, was arrested after leaving the scene and is now facing manslaughter, driving under the influence and leaving the scene of a fatal collision charges.

The crash happened in the Flowing Wells area, a community northwest of central Tucson where North Flowing Wells Road meets West Roger Road. The sheriff’s department said deputies were sent to the intersection after receiving reports that a pedestrian had been hit and that the vehicle involved had fled. The initial reports described James-Higdon’s condition as critical or life threatening, but he remained alive after being transported to the hospital. His death later changed the nature of the criminal case and led to updated charges.

According to the sheriff’s department, Taylor was driving a Dodge Charger when he struck James-Higdon. Rather than remain at the location, Taylor left and went to a nearby residence. A witness followed or tracked him to that home, allowing deputies to locate and detain him. Deputies reported that Taylor displayed signs and symptoms consistent with alcohol intoxication when they encountered him. The department did not release information in the reports about how long Taylor had been at the residence before deputies arrived.

The first charges filed against Taylor were driving under the influence, leaving the scene of a crash involving injury and aggravated assault. Those charges reflected the information available while James-Higdon was being treated. After James-Higdon died, the sheriff’s department said the charges were updated to DUI, leaving the scene of an accident involving death and manslaughter. Taylor was booked into the Pima County jail and remained in custody, according to the reports.

Court documents provided additional details about what happened inside the vehicle. During questioning, Taylor and a passenger reportedly told deputies they heard a loud bang. The passenger also said the people in the vehicle did not attempt to pull over afterward. The reports did not identify the passenger or say whether that person faced charges. They also did not provide a public account from James-Higdon, whose injuries prevented further information about his perspective from being available.

Taylor’s bond was set at $250,000. The reports did not provide a later court date, an attorney’s statement or a response from Taylor. The criminal allegations remain pending, and the available information does not describe a final court ruling. The manslaughter, DUI and fatal hit and run accusations are based on the investigation and the charges brought after James-Higdon’s death.

The case illustrates how quickly the legal status of a serious crash can change when an injured person dies after being taken to a hospital. Deputies initially investigated a collision involving a pedestrian who survived with life threatening injuries. James-Higdon’s death on Nov. 2 prompted the sheriff’s department to characterize the incident as involving a fatal collision and to add manslaughter to the updated list of charges. The department’s public account did not specify the precise medical cause of death beyond injuries from the crash.

For people who travel through Flowing Wells, the known sequence is straightforward but devastating: a pedestrian was struck late on Oct. 31, the driver left the intersection, a witness helped authorities find the vehicle and driver, and the injured man died two days later. The reports did not mention a road closure, additional injuries or any public memorial at the intersection. They also did not say whether investigators had released information about the vehicle’s speed, the pedestrian’s direction of travel, lighting conditions or the circumstances immediately before the collision.

The sheriff’s department has not announced a final resolution of the case. Taylor remains in custody under the reported $250,000 bond while the charges proceed. James-Higdon’s death leaves the fatal crash as a matter for the criminal courts as well as an investigation by local authorities. Further details about court proceedings, evidence and any eventual plea or trial outcome were not included in the available reports.