Wrong-way drunk driver was over 2x legal limit before deadly Scottsdale crash, police say

SCOTTSDALE, AZ (3TV/CBS 5) -- A wrong-way driver is accused of driving drunk, causing a crash that killed a woman and injured her husband as they were on their way to a friend’s house in Scottsdale last week.

On Dec. 30, just after 7 p.m., police began receiving calls of 48-year-old Joshua Grabek driving the wrong way near Raintree Drive and Hayden Road. According to investigators, 56-year-old Girard Grassi Jr., a rideshare driver, was driving a couple to a friend’s house for a get-together when Grabek hit their car head-on near Cactus and Hayden roads. Investigators said that Grassi’s car was pushed backward, and he broke his ankle. The couple, a 58-year-old woman and a 60-year-old man, were taken to the hospital, where the woman died. Police haven’t released their names.

Officers arrived at the crash and found Grabek slurring his speech and having watery, bloodshot eyes, court documents say. Police also smelled alcohol coming from his breath. Investigators say Grabek admitted he was drinking and driving that night.

Grabek’s BAC came back as .179, over two times the legal limit. He was booked on one count of reckless manslaughter, one count of aggravated DUI, two counts of aggravated assault, and one count of endangerment.

Copyright 2023 KTVK/KPHO. All rights reserved.