Phoenix Police cruiser involved in fiery, deadly crash
PHOENIX - Police are investigating a fiery crash on Thursday involving a Phoenix Police SUV that left one person dead.
Phoenix Police say an officer was transporting a prisoner when they were hit by another vehicle just before 9 a.m. on Dec. 21 near 35th Avenue and Thunderbird Road. After hitting the police cruiser, the vehicle crashed into a power pole and went up in flames.
"I heard two bangs in the explosion. Saw the smoke and came running, and at that point, the back of the car was on fire," said Ryan Hayes.
Workers at a nearby business reportedly used a fire extinguisher to fight the fire for a time after the crash.
The driver, identified by police as 19-year-old Ashley Vailes, was pronounced dead at the scene.
1 dead following Phoenix PD-involved crash
The crash happened in the area of 35th Avenue and Thunderbird on the morning of Dec. 21, and police say one of the cars involved in the crash was being driven by an officer who was transporting a prisoner. Meanwhile, people who live in the area say the intersection is bad news. FOX 10's Brian Webb reports.
"Additional information, to include witness statements and video surveillance footage, has led investigators to determine that the car driven by Vailes entered the intersection on a red light just prior to the collision," read a portion of a statement released by Phoenix Police officials.
The officer and the prisoner were taken to a hospital as a precaution.
"Preliminary information suggests that the officer was making a south bound turn onto 35th Avenue from west bound on Thunderbird Road," Sgt. Rob Scherer said. "The officer was involved in the collision with the other vehicle, that was traveling eastbound on Thunderbird Road."
Video taken at the scene after the incident shows an intersection littered with debris, as well as a car that was destroyed by flames. People living in the area say the intersection is bad news.
"It’s just constant accidents, and you know, once again, that intersection's having some construction being done right now. Probably didn’t help this any more, but it’s just a very dangerous act area and intersection," said one person.
The intersection was shut down for some time due to the investigation.