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18-year-old arrested for allegedly driving drunk and killing Valley mother of 3

Jaxon Collins of Phoenix was arrested Tuesday on suspicion of manslaughter for a fatal DUI crash on New Year's Day.

PHOENIX — An 18-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of driving drunk and causing a car collision on New Year's Day that killed a mother of three young children. 

Public records identify Jaxon L. Collins as the driver who allegedly killed 27-year-old Crystal Irene Garcia shortly after midnight on Saturday.

Thirty minutes after celebrating the start of the new year, Garcia and her family were hit by the suspect's car near 38th Street and Greenway Road. 

The mother’s three children, ages 8, 5, and 6 months old, and husband sustained minor injuries from the crash. 

Public records show Collins allegedly had a blood-alcohol level of 0.176 at the time of the crash, which is twice above the legal limit.

Data extracted from the suspect's vehicle showed Collins had allegedly been driving at a speed of 89 mph seconds before impact in an area with a speed limit of 45 mph, court records show.

Collins was initially released by police after the crash but has since been booked into jail on charges of manslaughter, endangerment, and aggravated assault.

RELATED: Valley family mourns mom of 3 who died in New Year’s crash

RELATED: Extreme holiday DUIs on the rise in Arizona

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Deaths on Arizona roadways: 

Data from the Arizona Department of Transportation shows that roadway fatalities have been gradually rising in Arizona over the last decade: 

  • 2011: 825 deaths  

  • 2012: 821 deaths 

  • 2013: 844 deaths 

  • 2014: 774 deaths 

  • 2015: 895 deaths 

  • 2016: 952 deaths 

  • 2017: 1,000 deaths 

  • 2018: 1,010 deaths 

  • 2019: 982 deaths 

  • 2020: 1,057 deaths 

 

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