21-Apr-22
Incident Status: Inactive
Incident Date: Thursday, April 21, 2022
Department Report Number: I22022011
Preliminary Information:
Updated Information: April 29, 2022
The three deceased victims from the Toyota SUV driven by Kevin Avila have been identified as:
- Alexis Miguel Fuentes De La Cruz, 22 years old
- Omar Ortiz-Ramirez, 36 years old
- Raúl Carranza-Alonso, 39 years old
All of the deceased victims were Mexican nationals.
One victim from the SUV remains hospitalized. Four victims in the SUV were treated and released from Tucson and Phoenix area hospitals.
The tractor-trailer driver and the box truck driver were also treated and released from Tucson and Phoenix area hospitals.
–End of Update–
On Thursday, April 21, 2022, at approximately 8:38 a.m., an Arizona State Trooper attempted to stop the driver of a Toyota SUV for reckless driving on westbound Interstate 10 near milepost 214, east of Eloy.
The SUV driver failed to yield to the trooper’s lights and siren and entered the dirt median, where it rolled over. The vehicle then entered the eastbound traffic lanes of Interstate 10, where it collided with a tractor-trailer traveling eastbound.
A third vehicle, a box truck traveling eastbound on Interstate 10, also sustained damage during the collision.
There were nine occupants in the SUV. Five were airlifted to hospitals in the Phoenix and Tucson areas with injuries ranging from serious to critical.
Three of the nine people in the SUV were killed. Two were declared deceased at the scene, and one person died at the hospital.
The driver of the SUV has been identified as Kevin Avila, 18, of Phoenix. Avila was treated and released from a Tucson-area hospital before being booked into the Pinal County Jail. Avila faces charges including:
- Homicide – 1st Degree (3 counts)
- Endangerment (7 counts)
- Aggravated assault (7 counts)
The driver of the tractor-trailer and box truck sustained minor injuries.
The AZDPS Vehicular Crimes Unit is conducting the criminal investigation for this incident.
Investigators are working to complete the next-of-kin notification process.
Incident Location: Google Maps(link is external)
District: 06 – Casa Grande
Email: PIO_Unit@azdps.gov