A driver shot multiple times by a group of unknown attackers lost control of his vehicle and crashed directly into an Avondale living room on Friday night, critically injuring himself and breaking the ribs of a woman inside the home. The crash happened near Avondale Boulevard and Van Buren Street, according to investigators, leaving both the driver and the resident hospitalized.
According to FOX 10 Phoenix, Avondale police officers responded to reports of gunfire and a car crashing into a home. The outlet reported that the adult male driver was shot multiple times by a group of unknown individuals before losing control of his car and slamming into the house. The woman inside was struck by the crashing vehicle and hospitalized with multiple broken ribs, while the driver was described as critically injured.
The woman's daughter told the outlet that her mother was sitting in the front room when the vehicle crashed through the wall, causing the many broken ribs. As of the report, the resident was listed in stable condition. The shooting suspects fled the scene immediately after opening fire, and as of the report, they had not been located by authorities.
Investigators Still Piecing Together the Shooting
Nearby security cameras did not record the crash, according to the same account, leaving investigators without direct video of the moments before the vehicle struck the home. No additional injuries were reported after stray gunfire also struck a neighbor's house nearby. The Avondale Police Department's Criminal Investigations Bureau has taken over the active investigation, and police have asked anyone with information to contact Silent Witness at 623-333-7001.
Tipsters who reach out to Silent Witness can remain anonymous, and the program offers cash rewards of up to $1,000 for information leading to an arrest or felony indictment in non-homicide cases. Investigators have not said which street the gunfire originated on before the driver crashed, and the identities and motive of the shooters remain open questions.
A Familiar Intersection for Violence
This is not the first time gunfire and a high-speed crash have collided at this stretch of road. FOX 10 Phoenix reported in June that another aggravated assault shooting led to a high-speed crash near the same intersection of Avondale Boulevard and Van Buren Street, suggesting a pattern of violent gun-and-traffic incidents in the area this year. Maricopa County hazard mitigation records describe Van Buren Street through Avondale as a key growth and commercial corridor stretching from 127th Avenue to 99th Avenue, underscoring how heavily traveled the roadway is for both residents and businesses.
Avondale, a fast-growing West Valley suburb west of Phoenix, had a population of 92,477 residents in 2024 with a median age of 33.4 years, according to U.S. Census Bureau data compiled by Data Commons. FBI Crime Data Explorer statistics show Avondale recorded a five-year average violent crime rate of 137.1 per 100,000 residents from 2019 to 2024, about 29 percent above the national average. That local figure stands in contrast to statewide trends: Arizona Department of Public Safety TOPS data shows total reported violent crime across the state declined slightly, from 31,563 offenses in 2023 to 30,888 in 2024.
What Suspects Could Face Under Arizona Law
If identified and charged, the shooters could face severe consequences under state law. Arizona Revised Statutes § 13-1209 classifies drive-by shooting as a Class 2 dangerous felony, carrying a presumptive prison sentence of 10.5 years and up to 21 years for a first-time offense, according to the Law Office of Daniel Hutto. The statute also mandates that any vehicle used to commit a drive-by shooting is subject to law enforcement seizure and civil asset forfeiture, per Phoenix criminal defense attorney James E. Novak.
The Avondale Police Department's administrative and records offices operate Monday through Thursday and are closed for public walk-in services on Fridays, though emergency dispatch and the Criminal Investigations Bureau remain active around the clock. For now, the search for the shooters continues, with police relying on tips from the public to move the case forward.
