A fatal crash in north Phoenix took the life of a young man yesterday morning after his vehicle struck a block wall causing a gas leak in the residential area. The Phoenix Police Department identified the deceased as 24-year-old Samuel Martinez. The accident prompted a swift response from emergency services and led to the temporary evacuation of a nearby home.
The collision occurred just before 6:30 a.m. near 16th Street and Campo Bello Drive, with the force of the crash compromising a gas line. According to azfamily.com, Southwest Gas managed to contain the leak, and once firefighters declared it safe, residents were allowed to return. At the scene, police rendered aid to Martinez until firefighters arrived and transported him to a hospital, where, he later succumbed to his injuries.
Investigators are still piecing together the details of this tragic incident. "Preliminary information suggests Martinez was the driver of the vehicle, and possibly impaired, when the vehicle went off the roadway and crashed into a block wall. The case remains active as detectives continue to process the evidence collected and await the findings of Martinez’s post-mortem exam," the Phoenix Police Department said in a statement obtained by FOX 10 Phoenix. The ongoing investigation awaits the findings of the post-mortem exam to provide further insight into the cause of the crash.
