QUEEN CREEK, Ariz. — A 4-year-old girl has died after sustaining severe injuries on Wednesday following a crash near Hunt Highway and Power Road.
The crash involved multiple vehicles and one of them sustained severe damage to its back-end.
The child was a passenger in a car that was stopped at a stop sign and then rear-ended by an oncoming car traveling at 60 mph, police said. An adult and another child were also in the victim's vehicle.
The girl was taken to the hospital for life-threatening injuries and died on Thursday, police said.
The driver of the suspect's car, identified as 33-year-old Jason Sanchez, was allegedly impaired at the time of the crash. Sanchez has been booked into the Pinal County jail for possible charges of second-degree murder and DUI.
“We extend our deepest sympathies to the family during this incredibly difficult time, the loss of a child is unimaginable,” said Queen Creek Police Chief Randy Brice. “Drinking and driving is a reckless and dangerous choice that endangers the lives of everyone on the road."
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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.
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.
