A 15-year-old boy was killed Friday evening in north Phoenix after police say he was hit by a driver suspected of being impaired.
Phoenix police identified the teen as Jaime Pacheco Ramirez. Officers were called to the area of 19th Avenue and Cactus Road around 5 p.m. after reports that a pedestrian had been struck. When they arrived, they found the teen critically injured. He was taken to a hospital, where he later died.
Investigators say the driver — an adult man — initially remained at the scene but ran as officers approached. After a brief foot chase, police detained him and took him to a hospital for non-life-threatening injuries tied to the crash. According to detectives, the car had been traveling at a high speed eastbound on 19th Avenue before the driver lost control, left the roadway and hit the teen.
The man is facing multiple charges connected to the collision. Police say additional impairment-related charges will be considered once toxicology results are complete.
Authorities have not released further details. A recent ADOT road safety report provides background on statewide pedestrian-safety trends.
