Arizona man with twice legal blood alcohol limit charged with murder after wife dies in lake car crash

MARICOPA COUNTY, ARIZONA: Anthony Joseph Maiorana, an Arizona resident, has been charged with murder following a devastating incident in which his wife, Megan Maiorana, tragically lost her life after their car crashed into a lake.

The incident occurred on Friday, March 22, as the couple was returning from a baseball game.

Anthony Joseph Maiorana and Megan Maiorana's tragic car crash

Maiorana and Megan had been married for nine years, according to reports, with family members recalling Megan as a beloved friend and admirer of Arizona.

According to reports from the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office, their vehicle failed to negotiate a curve, leading to a collision with the lake. Eyewitness accounts, as detailed in court documents cited by KTVK, describe how the car "sliding and rotating." eventually hitting a concrete culvert before becoming airborne for approximately 100 feet and landing in the lake.

Upon arrival at the scene, officers from the Goodyear Police Department encountered Maiorana outside the vehicle, frantically "screaming that his wife was trapped inside," the county's attorney's office said. Witnesses informed officers they "heard a vehicle driving at a high rate of speed followed by screaming."

Anthony Maiorana's blood alcohol content double legal Limit

"Tragically, despite multiple rescue attempts by officers and bystanders, they were unsuccessful in getting the defendant’s wife out of the vehicle," their news release added. Further, it was revealed that Maiorana had a blood alcohol content that exceeded twice the legal limit at the time of the incident.

Subsequently, Maiorana was charged with second-degree murder, along with several other offenses, including reckless manslaughter, extreme DUI, reckless driving, and DUI for liquor/drugs/vapors. He was taken into custody and booked into the Maricopa County Jail, with bail set at $150,000.

Indictment details Anthony Maiorana's alleged reckless conduct

"Anthony Joseph Maiorana, on or about March 22, 2024, without premeditation, under circumstances manifesting extreme indifference to human life, recklessly engaged in conduct which created a grave risk of death and thereby did cause the death of Megan Maiorana," his indictment stated. 

Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell praised the efforts of "the brave citizens and officers in this situation who attempted to save this victim’s life." "We are pursuing this charge because of the husband’s reckless behavior."