MARICOPA COUNTY, Ariz. — The Maricopa County Sheriff's Office is investigating a fatal hit-and-run crash reported shortly before midnight on New Year's Eve in the West Valley.
At about 11:40 p.m. on Sunday, deputies responded to the area of 83rd Avenue and McDowell Road for reports of a traffic collision. Upon arrival, they found a pedestrian who had sustained critical injuries. He was taken to the hospital and later died.
MCSO is investigating the incident as a hit-and-run and no arrests have been disclosed yet.
The deceased man has been identified as 46-year-old Gabriel Cruz.
The suspect's car was described as a dark-colored Dodge Challenger.
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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.