A Gilbert man who drove past a red light at up to 96 mph while intoxicated has been sentenced to 24 years in prison for killing a rideshare driver and her passenger last September. Robb Hintzsche pled no contest to two counts of second-degree murder in connection with the crash that killed Nicole Snell, 36, and Marisa Jorgenson, 33, between Recker and Ray roads in Gilbert.
Judge Suzanne Marwil imposed the punishment, which includes credit for the 267 days Hintzsche has already served, according to ABC15 Arizona. Hintzsche accepted the plea offer in June, concluding a case that had garnered great scrutiny for both his blood alcohol level and his speed at the time of collision.
According to official incident documents obtained by the Gilbert Police Department, Hintzsche ran a red light at 89 to 96 mph in a 45-mph zone, colliding with Snell’s northbound Lyft on a green light and driving it into a corner signal light pole. According to ABC15, Snell worked as a rideshare driver and was well-liked in the east valley dance community. Jorgenson, a pharmacist and enthusiastic runner, was her passenger as she drove to downtown Gilbert to meet friends.
Jorgenson’s family told ABC15 that she never drank and drove; she took Lyft especially to avoid that risk. According to 12News, Jorgenson texted her closest friend “Love you on my way” just four minutes before her mother received an automated iPhone crash warning and drove directly to the spot to investigate the damage. Jorgenson left behind two young sons, and those closest to her said she loved nothing more than spending time with them.
According to ABC15, Hintzsche’s blood alcohol level was.287 at the time of the crash, which was more than three times the legal limit in Arizona. Arizona Revised Statute Section 28-1382(A)(2) defines a BAC of 0.20% or greater as a “Super Extreme DUI,” which Hintzsche greatly exceeded, according to the Law Office of James Novak. ABC15 published a police report that showed two open single-serve bottles of alcohol in his car. Snell’s dog was also killed in the crash, and investigators recommended a charge of animal cruelty, as well as two charges of second-degree murder and three counts of endangerment.
Hintzsche was injured in the incident and arrested in late November, according to the Gilbert Police Department. He was taken into custody soon after leaving the hospital. The severity of the charges stems from Arizona’s second-degree murder statute, A.R.S. § 13-1104, which allows prosecutors to charge vehicular fatalities as murder when a driver’s conduct shows “extreme indifference to human life,” a Class 1 felony carrying 10 to 25 years per count without any requirement of premeditation. Hintzsche’s speed, nearly double the posted limit, along with his BAC, elevated his case much beyond normal manslaughter territory.
Hoodline previously covered Hintzsche’s arrest and initial charges following his hospital discharge in November, as well as the community’s reaction in the days that followed the tragedy.
The prosecution comes amid a broader confrontation with intoxicated and irresponsible driving in Maricopa County. Ramos Law’s analysis of Arizona Department of Transportation data revealed that Maricopa County would account for 3,544 of Arizona’s 5,520 alcohol-related crashes in 2024, accounting for more than 64% of the statewide total. The Arizona Department of Public Safety estimated that alcohol-related crashes killed 347 individuals throughout that year, accounting for 28% of all traffic fatalities in the state.
Locally, Gilbert had 12 traffic fatalities and 742 injury crashes in 2025, down from 18 the previous year but representing an increase in overall injury-producing incidents, according to municipal data released by YourValley. A nationwide transportation study analysis by TRIP indicated that Arizona road fatalities increased by 62% over the decade from 2014 to 2024, giving the state one of the highest mortality rates per vehicle-mile traveled in the nation. According to KTAR News, state agencies started Arrive Alive Arizona in mid-2025, a five-year campaign aimed squarely at fatal crashes caused by speed and alcohol.
For Snell and Jorgenson’s families, the 24-year term ends the criminal case but not the loss. Jorgenson’s life had been constructed around caution, with a pharmacy career, a running habit, and a strict rule against driving after drinking. In her east valley dancing community, Snell was remembered as a well-liked driver who was only doing her job on a green signal when Hintzsche’s car came through the crossing.
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