Man fled from Phoenix traffic stop and crashed into car, killing woman: PD

1 dead, another hurt in west Phoenix crash

One person is dead following an overnight crash near 75th Avenue and Lower Buckeye Road. Firefighters say a second person was hospitalized in extremely critical condition.

PHOENIX - A suspected impaired driver sped away during a traffic stop in Phoenix late Thursday night before crashing into another car and killing a woman, police said.

What we know:

Phoenix Police say an officer pulled over a suspected impaired driver, later identified as 40-year-old Ruben Almanza, just after 11:30 p.m. on Jan. 29 near 59th Avenue and Buckeye Road. 

"After speaking with Almanza for several minutes, Almanza put his vehicle into drive and fled from the traffic stop at a high rate of speed westbound on Lower Buckeye Road," police said.

Shortly after, officers responded to a crash near 75th Avenue and Lower Buckeye Road where they found Almanza's car and another vehicle. The driver of the second car, 35-year-old Melvina Jones, was pronounced dead at the scene.

Almanza was taken to a hospital in critical condition but later died.

Investigators believe Almanza was heading westbound on Lower Buckeye Road when he crossed into oncoming traffic and crashed into Jones' car.

What's next:

Traffic in the area was shut down for several hours, but it has since been reopened.

Map of where the crash happened