PHOENIX — A woman is dead and a child sustained critical injuries after their vehicle was allegedly hit by a red-light runner Wednesday night in the West Valley, police said.
At about 9:45 p.m., officers were dispatched to the scene of a two-vehicle collision near Interstate 10 and the 51st Avenue overpass. Four people had sustained injuries and were taken to the hospital.
Phoenix police said 22-year-old Dre Lewis allegedly ran a red light and struck a car with three occupants that was traveling eastbound on the I-10 Freeway Access Road. A 3-year-old child was ejected from the car and impaled by the chain-link fence located along the pedestrian bridge, court records show.
As of Thursday, the child was being hospitalized after undergoing surgery.
Another passenger, 38-year-old Debbie Alvarez, died at the hospital. The other driver is also in the hospital.
Court records show Lewis allegedly tried walking away from the crash before an off-duty police officer detained him. Officers reported detecting the odor of alcohol on the driver's breath.
Lewis was released from the hospital and booked into the Maricopa County jail. Police said he's facing charges of manslaughter and extreme DUI.
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