A man riding a minibike with a family member was left critically injured Saturday night after a black SUV and a black passenger car struck them near 67th Avenue and Thomas Road in Phoenix and then sped off without stopping. The man was found unresponsive at the scene before being rushed to a hospital, while his family member suffered only minor injuries.
Phoenix police responded to calls about the hit-and-run around 9:30 p.m., according to 12News. Investigators say the man and his relative were riding minibikes when the two vehicles struck them, and both drivers fled before officers arrived.
Investigators Say Vehicles May Have Been Racing
Initial information gathered by police suggested the black SUV and black passenger car may have been racing just before the crash, the station reported. That detail remains preliminary, and no suspect, vehicle description beyond color, or arrest has been confirmed in connection with the collision.
Phoenix police are asking anyone with information about the crash or the vehicles involved to come forward. Tipsters can contact police directly or reach out to Silent Witness at 480-WITNESS, or 480-TESTIGO for Spanish-speaking callers, per the same report.
Same Intersection Saw a Deadly Crash Before
The stretch near 67th Avenue and Thomas Road has seen tragedy before. A separate crash at that same west Phoenix intersection left one person dead and three others injured late on a Wednesday night, according to ABC15. Police said that crash involved two cars and happened around 10 p.m., and the man who died was later identified as 38-year-old Ozzy Pena; the three others taken to a hospital were not considered to have life-threatening injuries.
Hit-and-runs have become a persistent problem across the city. Phoenix logged 3,765 hit-and-run incidents out of 23,676 total collisions in 2024, according to a City of Phoenix traffic collision summary. Just weeks before Saturday's crash, Arizona's Family reported that Phoenix police had logged a string of pedestrian crashes across the city within a single 24-hour span, including a hit-and-run near 23rd and Peoria avenues that sent two people to the hospital and another incident near 67th Avenue and Broadway Road where a person died and it remained unclear whether the driver stayed at the scene or could face charges. Police told the outlet at the time they had seen no indication the incidents were connected.
What Arizona Law Says About Racing and Fleeing
Arizona law directly addresses the kind of reckless driving investigators are scrutinizing in this case. Arizona Revised Statutes § 28-708, maintained by the Arizona Legislature, states that a person shall not drive a vehicle or participate in any manner in a race, speed competition, drag race, acceleration contest, or exhibition of speed. Separately, Arizona Revised Statutes § 28-661 sets a penalty period of five years, not including any time a person is incarcerated, for an accident resulting in serious physical injury where the driver failed to stop. It has not been established whether either statute applies to Saturday's crash, and no charges have been confirmed.
The investigation into the Saturday night crash remains active, and police have not released further details about the vehicles or any suspects. Anyone who witnessed the crash or has information about the black SUV or black passenger car involved is urged to come forward through Silent Witness or by contacting Phoenix police.
