PHOENIX — Two people are dead following a high-speed crash early Saturday morning in Avondale, after a vehicle fleeing a traffic stop slammed into a convenience store and caught fire.
According to police, officers initially attempted to stop a vehicle for reckless driving near Buckeye Road and 91st Avenue around 1:30 a.m. Instead of pulling over, the driver sped away, prompting law enforcement to initiate aerial surveillance using a police helicopter.
The vehicle, tracked from the air as it traveled onto Interstate 10 and through surface streets, was later observed heading west at a high rate of speed near Buckeye Road. While crossing over railroad tracks near Dysart Road, the driver lost control of the car.
The vehicle crashed into the Dodge City Market, a convenience store in Avondale. The impact caused the car to ignite, and the flames quickly spread to the building. First responders arrived on scene and attempted to assist those involved.
The driver, identified as 18-year-old Sergio Lara-Garcia, was pulled from the wreckage and transported to a nearby hospital, where he later died. His passenger, 16-year-old Julian Lugo-Estrada, also sustained serious injuries and was pronounced dead after being taken to the hospital.
The crash caused significant damage to the convenience store, although the full extent of the structural impact is still being assessed.
The Phoenix Police Department’s Vehicular Crimes Unit has assumed control of the investigation. No additional injuries were reported, and no bystanders were harmed during the incident.
