PEORIA, Arizona — A family was coming home from a Thanksgiving celebration. A teenager was behind the wheel of a Jeep, high on marijuana and driving at 115 mph in a 40 mph zone. Five people never made it home.
Bjorn Hartzell, now 20, was sentenced last week to 30 years in prison after pleading guilty to five counts of second-degree murder and one count of felony endangerment.
A Night That Ended Everything
In November 2023, Elizabeth Simpson and her fiance Jace Hochstetler were driving home with four children after a holiday get-together near 107th Avenue and Lone Cactus Drive in Peoria.
They were making a left turn when Hartzell’s Jeep Grand Cherokee slammed into their minivan.
Simpson and Hochstetler were pronounced dead at the scene. Three of their children — ages 14, 10, and 7 — died at the hospital from their injuries.
The only survivor was Simpson’s 7-month-old son.
All five were wearing seatbelts.
What Investigators Found
Crash reconstruction data confirmed Hartzell was traveling between 112 and 115 mph at the moment of impact. A drug recognition expert noted multiple signs of marijuana impairment. Hartzell admitted to smoking before driving, and a blood test confirmed the presence of THC.
Hochstetler had proposed to Simpson just weeks before they were killed.
“No one expects a routine drive to end in tragedy because another driver chose to speed while impaired,” said Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell.
Hartzell will serve 30 years before any possibility of release.
What do you think about this sentence — was justice served? Let us know in the comments.