PHOENIX — Two women are dead following a fiery car crash Friday morning in north Phoenix.
Phoenix police officers were dispatched at about 6 a.m. to Sweetwater and 35th avenues for reports of a serious collision. Upon arrival, they found a woman outside of burning vehicle that had struck a large pole.
Police said the woman was taken to the hospital for serious injuries. She later died.
After the car fire was extinguished, a female passenger was found inside. The second woman was pronounced deceased at the scene.
Police said preliminary information indicates the car's driver was speeding north on 35th Avenue and lost control before hitting the metal pole.
The deceased individuals have been identified as 21-year-old Jazmine Day and 22-year-old Akiyah Stallings.
UP TO SPEED
What is the Valley?:
“The Valley” is what locals call the Phoenix Metropolitan Area. It is considered the largest metropolitan area in the Southwest.
The Valley is made up of various major cities other than Phoenix, including:
- Mesa
- Chandler
- Scottsdale
- Tempe
- Glendale
- Surprise
- Peoria
- Gilbert
- El Mirage
- Avondale
- Litchfield Park
- Goodyear
- Buckeye
Whether a city is in the “East Valley” or “West Valley” depends on where it is in relation to Phoenix.
The cities of the Valley have a combined population of 4,845,832 people, according to the 2020 United States Census. This makes it the 11th largest metropolitan area in the country right behind the Boston and Atlanta areas.
How big is Maricopa County?
Maricopa County is the United States’ 4th largest county in terms of population with 4,485,414 people, according to the 2020 Census.
The county contains around 63% of Arizona’s population and is 9,224 square miles. That makes the county larger than seven U.S. states (Rhode Island, Delaware, Connecticut, Hawaii, New Jersey, Massachusetts and New Hampshire).
One of the largest park systems in the nation is also located in Maricopa County. The county has an estimated 120,000 acres of open space parks that includes hundreds of miles of trails, nature centers and campgrounds.
The county’s seat is located in Phoenix, which is also the state capital and the census-designated 5th most populous city in the United States.
The county was named after the Maricopa, or Piipaash, Native American Tribe.