Tragedy struck in Phoenix as a 44-year-old woman, Rafaela Montes-Garcia, was fatally hit by an SUV while crossing the street early Sunday morning. The incident took place around 1:20 a.m. near the intersection of 51st and West Campbell avenues, as reported by FOX 10 Phoenix. Montes-Garcia was pronounced dead at the scene.
According to the Phoenix Police Department, Montes-Garcia was attempting to walk across 51st Avenue just outside a marked crosswalk when the collision occurred, and while authorities have stated that the driver of the SUV remained at the scene and cooperated with the investigation, the specifics leading up to the crash still remain unclear, the SUV driver called 911 and engaged with officers but what occurred in the moments before Montes-Garcia was struck is yet to be determined.
The crash led to the closure of the intersection until 6:30 a.m., as emergency services responded to the tragic event and investigators began to piece together the circumstances of the collision, as noted by AZ Family.
Phoenix Police Sgt. Brian Bower, in a statement obtained by FOX 10 Phoenix, shared that "Detectives learned that the pedestrian, who was identified as 44-year-old Rafaela Montes-Garcia, was attempting to walk across 51st Avenue, just outside of the marked crosswalk, when she was hit by the SUV." The ongoing investigation by the Phoenix Police is expected to uncover more details about the incident.
