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Phoenix Police: Red light runner kills woman in crash
Police say Pedro Meza ran a red light at 15th Avenue and Bethany Home Road, and a 23-year-old woman died in the resulting collision. FOX 10's Justin Lum reports.
PHOENIX - We're learning more about the driver accused of running a red light and causing a deadly crash that happened near 15th Avenue and Bethany Home Road.
The collision, which happened during the morning hours of Sept. 7 also took out a block wall. Broken glass and debris are scattered throughout a home's backyard and the owner says this was the seventh crash into the wall in her five years of living here – but this is the first fatality she's witnessed.
"I just don't feel safe," said Natalie Gable.
Gable woke up to a loud noise around 7:00 a.m. on Monday. She called 911 after seeing a car in her front yard, once again her wall had been destroyed.
"And thankfully, there was a cop in the area who was already in my front yard, but it was very, very overwhelming. Everything went in slow motion because I could see that there was a car in our front yard.. there was the other one that was just over.. just in the intersection and it has absolutely shaken me."
The person who died was 23-year-old Selemawit Negash.
Phoenix Police say 19-year-old Pablo Meza ran a red light on Bethany Home Road before colliding with Negash's car at 15th Avenue.
"I can't imagine she wasn't much older than me and she had a car seat in the back of her car," said Gable.
Police say Meza told them he didn't see the red light and admitted to smoking meth in the past. Officers say they found a glass pipe with residue in Meza's car, along with a crystal-like substance in his wallet.
Investigators say they noticed Meza had bloodshot, watery eyes.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection confirms Meza was arrested during the week of Aug. 30 for smuggling undocumented immigrants.
Meanwhile, Gable is using her homeowner's insurance to repair the wall again. She says she wishes the city would do something to protect her property on this busy street so another crash does not happen in her yard.
"We've not really been here for a full five years and it just continues to happen and I don't know how many more times it's gonna happen before they actually take more precautions."
Meza's bond was set at $100,000. He has a hearing scheduled for Sept. 13.
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