Paula Miller: Arizona woman, 73, arrested in connection to hit-and-run killing of motorcyclist

Warning: This article contains a recollection of crime and can be triggering to some, readers’ discretion advised.

PHOENIX, ARIZONA: On Sunday, February 4, the police announced they arrested a driver accused of a fatal hit-and-run incident that occurred in Phoenix in December 2023.

The suspect, identified as Paula Miller, 73, apparently collided with a motorcyclist, Katerina Penrose, 31, shortly before 5 pm at the intersection of Thunderbird Road and Pointe Golf Club Drive, situated between 7th Street and Cave Creek Road on December 14, 2023, leading to the latter's death, as per the AZ Family.

Responding officers discovered Penrose with severe injuries at the scene. She was promptly transported to a nearby hospital, where she tragically succumbed to her injuries.

Miller, who was arrested on January 29, is currently facing multiple charges, including leaving the scene of a deadly accident, which is a felony offense.

Paula Miller's arrest was made possible due to surveillance footage 

Several days after the incident, Silent Witness released surveillance footage depicting a vehicle suspected to be involved in the incident. This led investigators to identify a 2011 Buick Lucerne as the car possibly linked to the collision. 

The automobile was registered to an address on Sharon Drive, approximately two miles away from the site of the fatal crash.

According to court records, when the police initially visited the residence on December 20, no one responded to their knocks despite cars being present in the driveway. 

Later that same day, officers made contact with a male resident of the home via phone, who allegedly claimed ignorance regarding the whereabouts of his Buick, the individuals with access to its keys, or its usual drivers. 

Subsequently, he refused to answer further questions and terminated the call. Documents indicate that police revisited the property later in the day, and on this occasion, a younger man answered the door. 

On further questioning, he invoked his Fifth Amendment right and declined to provide any additional information, citing the absence of a warrant.

Consequently, investigators returned the following day with a warrant and discovered a Buick Lucerne parked in the garage, exhibiting damage consistent with the crash. 

Paint fragments, believed to originate from a motorcycle, were found on the passenger side of the vehicle, along with human DNA. 

Furthermore, authorities noted that "the three residents (of the home) were less than cooperative with this investigation."

Investigators believe Katerina Penrose still had vital signs when Paula Miller fled the scene of the collision

Detectives allege that Penrose was traveling westbound along Thunderbird when the driver of the Buick, identified as Miller, made a left turn, causing the motorcyclist to swerve and collide with the passenger side of the Lucerne. 

The police assert that Miller fled the scene without rendering aid to Penrose, who still had vital signs at the time of the collision. They also noted that the 73-year-old's cell phone data shows that she was present at the scene of the crash. 

"It would have been completely different if she would have stopped at the accident scene and handled everything that way. Unfortunately, her actions show her own mindset," said Katerina Penrose's husband, David Kelso, about Miller's arrest, as per FOX10.