PHOENIX — A young woman died Saturday night after an alleged street racing incident near 39th and Southern avenues, Phoenix police said.
Lesli Vega Bolanos, 19, was killed after she was partially ejected from a vehicle that was involved in an alleged racing incident in south Phoenix at about 9:30 p.m.
The victim's brother Alexis Vega opened up to 12News about his family's loss.
Vega said Bolanos had been in the United States for less than a year.
Vega said his sister was working and had just started school at Rio Salado. She was studying English and wanted to be a psychologist.
“My sister she was, she was very outgoing, very smart, she was a go-getter for sure. She was always really energetic, always good vibes with her,” said Vega.
The family has set up a memorial for Bolanos near Southern and 37th avenues. There will be a vigil on Friday at 7:30 p.m.
They have also set up a GoFundMe to help bring Bolanos home to Mexico and help with funeral expenses.
Meanwhile, the investigation into the crash is ongoing according to police.
Witnesses told police two cars were racing westbound on Southern Avenues at speeds of 80 mph before the two cars collided. One of the cars struck an electrical pole, resulting in a power outage in the surrounding area.
Police said two men had to be extricated from one of the involved vehicles. One of them sustained life-threatening injuries.
A total of four people from both cars were taken to the hospital for treatment. Vega confirmed two of the people injured in the crash were his brothers.
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.