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Young Valley family killed in weekend crash remembered

Published  April 8, 2019 5:15pm MST
Linda Williams' Reports
FOX 10 Phoenix

PHOENIX (FOX 10) -- FOX 10 is learning more about a family that was killed over the weekend, in a devastating accident between a Phoenix fire engine and a pickup truck.

The crash, which happened at the intersection of 29th Avenue and Bethany Home Road. The fire engine was on the way to a call of a structure fire.

"There were two trucks en route to that right," said Sgt. Vince Lewis with the Phoenix Police Department. "They were separated by some distance, as I understand."

The family in the truck did not survive, and a three-month-old baby was among the victims.

"This is Chase," said Sara Collins, talking about 20-year-old Kenneth Collins, who also went by Chase, barely holding back her tears as she talked. "This is my grandbaby. This is Dariana. We don't get to have them in our lives anymore."

Collins his girlfriend, Dariana Serrano, just became new parents to Kenneth Junior three months ago.

"Chase was a good father. She was good mother. They had good hearts," said Collins.

At the scene of the accident on Monday, people can still see thick skid marks that the Phoenix fire truck's tires made, as it hurtled toward the lawn of Barnett Academy after hitting the 1998 truck Chase was driving. Police say it appears the truck turned in front of the fire truck as it drove west on Bethany Home Road with lights and sirens on a fire call. The accident happened right in front of the Sovereign Grace Church and School.

Church elder says the congregation prayed for the firefighters and the young family on Sunday morning.

"You know it's a real tragic thing, and we are just sick about it," said the elder. "It shows you how fragile life is."

To honor the lives lost, the Jones family drove from their home in North Phoenix with flowers and candles for a young family they had never met.

"They're going to pray for the victims and family, and just show love," said Lynette Jones. "It doesn't matter if you know them or not. People are there for each other. There's good people in this world."