A late-night crash near a Peoria neighborhood turned deadly Monday when a car left the roadway and slammed into a light pole, killing the driver at the scene. The single-vehicle wreck happened at the intersection of 91st Avenue and Hatcher Road and left the sedan with heavy damage along the driver's side. Responding officers pronounced the man dead at the scene.
What police say about the scene
Officers were called to the intersection around 11:30 p.m., and investigators shut down 91st Avenue from Sunnyslope Lane to Palo Verde Avenue while they worked through the overnight hours, reopening the roadway around 5 a.m., according to Arizona's Family. Reporters on site noted severe damage to the sedan's driver-side door. The closure and cleanup held up traffic for several hours while the traffic unit documented and cleared the scene.
Victim identified and crash details
Peoria police identified the driver as Hector J. Urquidez Montano, a Buckeye resident, according to KTAR. Investigators said the vehicle, a 2015 gray Ford Fusion, was traveling northbound on 91st Avenue when it drove onto the center median, crossed the northbound lanes, rode the sidewalk east of the road and then collided with the streetlight pole. Detectives told KTAR that speed was a factor in the crash, and they are looking at whether impairment may also have played a role.
Investigation ongoing
The Peoria Police Department's traffic unit is continuing to reconstruct the vehicle's movements and review evidence from the scene, and officials say the investigation is still active, per Arizona's Family. Authorities have not released any additional information about potential charges. Police say more details could be made public once the case review is complete.
