Phoenix, Arizona: Woman, 76, Killed in Five-Vehicle Crash at 19th Avenue and Evans Drive, Driver, 18, Arrested

A 76-year-old woman was killed and an 18-year-old driver was arrested after a five-vehicle chain-reaction crash near 19th Avenue and Evans Drive in north Phoenix on Thursday night, Phoenix police said.

Officers responded to the crash at about 9:10 p.m. on October 29, in the area of North 19th Avenue and West Evans Drive, near Thunderbird Road. Phoenix Fire crews also responded, and one driver was taken to a hospital, where she died.

How police say the crash happened

Preliminary findings from the department's Vehicular Crimes Unit say a gray Volvo SUV driven by Jeffrey Daniel White, 18, was traveling at a high rate of speed when it struck the rear of a white Dodge Ram pickup. That first impact triggered a chain reaction involving five vehicles, police said, pushing the pickup into other vehicles that were stopped behind a bus.

During the crash, a vehicle driven by Frances Horner, 76, left the roadway, crossed a sidewalk and struck a small brick wall, according to police. Phoenix Fire personnel transported Horner to a hospital, where she was pronounced dead.

The three other drivers, men aged 33, 45 and 26, were not injured and remained at the scene, police said.

Arrest at the hospital

Police said White tried to run from the crash scene but was detained by witnesses. He was taken to a hospital for injuries that were not life threatening.

While he was receiving treatment, White allegedly kicked an officer in the face. Officers arrested him on an aggravated assault allegation, and he was booked under booking number G290966, according to the police release. Local reports of the police account said officers also reported that White showed signs of impairment at the scene.

Detectives say additional charges are possible as the investigation into the collision continues. The allegations against White have not been proven in court.

Names released days later

Police first described the crash in a statement released on October 30, naming Horner and White. A fuller department release followed on November 1, laying out the chain reaction, the wall impact and the arrest at the hospital.

For drivers who use 19th Avenue in north Phoenix, the case is a reminder of how fast one high-speed impact can spread across a line of stopped traffic. Five vehicles were involved before the sequence stopped, and the only person killed was a driver in a vehicle that never hit anyone, according to the police account, but was pushed off the road and into a wall.

The Vehicular Crimes Unit investigation is ongoing, and police have not announced when the additional charging decisions will be made.