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1 dead after crash in central Phoenix

The fatal crash was reported near 12th Street and Indian School Road.

PHOENIX — One person has died after a traffic collision Wednesday afternoon involving a semi-truck in central Phoenix.

The Phoenix Fire Department said firefighters were dispatched at about 1 p.m. to 12th Street and Indian School Road for reports of a crash involving a truck and multiple other vehicles.

A man involved in the collision was pronounced deceased at the scene. 

The deceased man has been identified as 57-year-old Jimmy Orama.

Police said the victim was driving his vehicle when he crashed into the semi-truck.

The driver of the semi-truck was driving west on Indian School Road when they failed to stop and crashed into several vehicles stopped at a red light. The driver did not show signs of impairment, police said.

No other injuries have been reported.

The crash remains under investigation.

   

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.

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