PHOENIX — One driver is dead and three others are in the hospital following a two-vehicle crash in Phoenix on Monday, a spokesman with the Phoenix Police Department said.
Officers responded to the crash near 67th Avenue and El Cortez Place just after 7:30 p.m. on Monday. The two vehicles were carrying two people each.
Both drivers and their passengers, three men and one woman in total, were taken to the hospital with serious injuries. One of the drivers, identified as 61-year-old Ruben Garcia, was later pronounced deceased at the hospital, police said.
According to early investigations, one vehicle turned left from Cortez Place onto 67th Avenue when the second vehicle crashed into it.
At this time, it is unknown if impairment played a part in the crash.
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Deaths on Arizona roads
Data from the Arizona Department of Transportation shows that roadway fatalities have been gradually rising in Arizona over the last decade:
2011: 825 deaths
2012: 821 deaths
2013: 844 deaths
2014: 774 deaths
2015: 895 deaths
2016: 952 deaths
2017: 1,000 deaths
2018: 1,010 deaths
2019: 982 deaths
2020: 1,057 deaths
ADOT offers driving tips on its website to help keep people safe on the road.
"There’s always room for improvement when it comes to road safety," the department said on its website.
ADOT's suggestions include:
Don’t speed or drive aggressively
Never drive while under the influence of substances
Avoid distractions while driving
Wear your seatbelt and make sure all passengers are doing the same
When an emergency vehicle is on the side of the road, move over
Stay extra aware in work zones
Be prepared for weather conditions that make driving dangerous
"Real-time highway conditions are available on ADOT’s Arizona Traveler Information site at az511.gov, by calling 511, downloading the AZ 511 app and through ADOT’s Twitter feed, @ArizonaDOT," the department said.
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