KINGMAN – A Kingman man is going to the Arizona Department of Corrections after pleading guilty in a two-year-old drunk driving traffic fatality. Joel Swanson, 51, is convicted of manslaughter and driving under the influence of alcohol for the two vehicle collision that claimed the life of a Peach Springs resident on March, 12, 2023.
The Arizona Department of Public safety reported that Swanson was eastbound in his 2017 Silverado pickup truck that turned left and collided with a westbound 2014 Volkswagen on Historic Rt. 66, about 14 miles north of Kingman. A backseat passenger in the passenger car, Nanatte Tarin, 54, was dead at the scene of the crash.
Deputy Mohave County attorney Jacob Cote said Swanson’ blood alcohol content was more than 2.5 times above the legal limit at the time of the crash.
Prison incarceration for between 3 and 12.5 years is the primary punishment component of the plea deal. Judge Doug Camacho has scheduled an April 24 sentencing hearing for Swanson.
Dave Hawkins
