Strange But True: Unraveling Arizona’s Most Unexpected Deaths

Over 7 million people live in Arizona & throughout the state's history, there have been many people who have passed away. However, there have been some really weird ways people have lost their lives. Here are 3 of the most unique deaths in Arizona's history.

David Grundman (Death by cactus)

On February 4, 1982, David Grundman went on a hunting trip in Lake Pleasant, Arizona. While in the desert, David spotted a giant saguaro cactus. David took aim at the cactus, fired, and was crushed when a 4 ft. arm of the cactus landed on top of him. He died shortly after being impaled by the giant spikes from the cactus.

So far David Grundman is the only person who has been killed by a cactus, but there have been many close calls...

Roger Wallace (Death by Toy Plane)

A salesman from Tuscon, Arizona, Roger Wallace had fallen in love with the hobby of flying remote-controlled planes. On May 18, 2002, he was flying a Tower Hobbies Remote Control until he lost sight of it in the sun. The 7-pound R/C plane would end up slamming into Roger's chest, causing major damage to his heart and lungs. Police would end up responding but sadly Roger died at the scene. He was 60 years old.

To give you an idea of how big these planes can be, they can be as long as 4-5 ft. Some are even bigger than that.

Elaine Herzberg (Death by self-driving car)

This is the tragic tale of Elaine Herzberg, a Phoenix woman who was struck & killed by a self-driving car. A backup Uber driver, Rafaela Vasquez pleaded guilty to hitting Elaine while she was walking her bike in Tempe on March 18, 2018. The 49-year-old reached a plea agreement & was sentenced to 3 years of supervised probation. As a result of the accident, Uber no longer has self-driving car tests in the United States.

These stories serve as reminders to be careful because anything can happen...

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