TUCSON, Ariz. — According to Tucson Police, 67 people have died in traffic related accidents so far this year and 20-year-old Adam Ballerstein is the latest victim.
It happened on October 9th.
Tucson police say a 40-year-old man was impaired and speeding while driving along Tanque Verde Road.
Just East of Pantano Road his Jeep crossed the median and hit Adam Ballerstein's car head on.
Ballerstein died at the scene and now his father Dennis is trying to process the loss of his youngest son.
"He was the best kid you would ever want to meet he never did anything wrong. He cared about other people his heart went out to other people about the smallest things,” Dennis Ballerstein said.
Mike Mauerhan lives nearby and stopped to help on the night of the crash. He said the accident site has a dangerous curve that desperately needs a new guardrail installed for safety.
“You know my son and I ran up here and when you see something like that you just run towards it and you try to help and you don’t think about it," Mauerhan said. "I was upset for a couple of days for sure."
Family members say Adam loved to hang out with his family and friends and was the life of the party.
He was also just weeks away from celebrating his 21st birthday. He spent a lot of his time playing sports and gaming.
Tucson police say the other driver is in the hospital with life-threatening injuries and charges are still pending in the case.
A tragic case that left a family mourning a loved one who’s life was cut short in an instant.
"It just hurts," Dennis Ballerstein said. "My heart is broken."
