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14-year-old killed, 4 others seriously injured after car crashes into dump truck

The crash occurred around 4:40 a.m. in the intersection of 51st Avenue and Thunderbird Road, just outside Arizona State University West campus.

PHOENIX — Editor's note: The above video is from a Sunday 5:30 p.m. newscast. 

A teenage girl was killed and four other teenagers suffered serious or life-threatening injuries after their vehicle collided with a garbage truck in a Phoenix intersection early Sunday. 

Phoenix police spokesman Mark Tovar said the 14-year-old girl, identified Monday as Ella Thomas, was pronounced dead on the scene. 

Credit: Family
Ella Thomas was pronounced dead at the scene.

Another 14-year-old girl and a 15-year-old boy suffered life-threatening injuries. A fourth passenger, a 16-year-old boy, suffered serious injuries. 

The driver of the 2013 Hyundai, a 16-year-old boy, suffered serious injuries but is in stable condition, police said Monday.  

Tovar said the crash occurred around 4:40 a.m. in the intersection of 51st Avenue and Thunderbird Road, just outside Arizona State University West campus. 

Tovar said the driver of the Hyundai ran a red light and crashed into a garbage truck that was driving through the intersection. The driver of the truck, a 50-year-old man, suffered non-life-threatening injuries. 

Kelli Higgins, who says she witnessed the crash, told 12 News the other car “tried to swerve to go around the garbage truck, and it was just, it was too late, it was too late.”

After the initial crash, both vehicles became "entangled" and struck two large trees. Tovar said the cars eventually came to a resting point, with the garbage truck tipped over on top of the Hyundai. 

Impairment is not believed to be a factor in the crash, but speed and failure to yield may have contributed to it, Tovar said. 

The investigation is ongoing. 

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