A devastating turn of events unfolded on Monday morning when a stolen vehicle was involved in a crash that claimed the lives of three individuals, including a child. According to FOX 10 Phoenix, the incident occurred just before 8 a.m. at the intersection of Val Vista Drive and Southern Avenue in Mesa.
Per the reports by Mesa Police, sourced via KTAR News, a stolen Ford F-250 was hurtling northward on Val Vista when it careered into a Nissan Armada after veering into the median lane. The collision did not spare a third vehicle, which happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time, and was also entangled in the accident. The driver of the stolen truck, a 29-year-old man, as well as 42-year-old Troy Garlock, the driver of the Nissan Armada, were both confirmed deceased at the scene.
Tragically, two children were passengers in the backseat of the Nissan Armada. They were quickly rushed to the hospital, where the 8-year-old girl succumbed to her injuries. Her younger sibling, a 6-year-old girl, continues to receive medical attention. As FOX 10 Phoenix shared, the driver of the third vehicle, a Nissan Sentra, experienced only minor injuries and was not hospitalized following the crash.
Witness statements suggest that speed played a significant role in the catastrophe. "Within seconds, within seconds, I heard the ‘vroom, vroom,’ and then within three more seconds it was over, it was over for everybody," a resident Meshach Fletcher recounted to FOX 10 Phoenix, distress that would haunt him perpetually. The identities of the driver of the stolen truck and the young girl who passed away have not been disclosed as the investigation continues.
