Four teens killed in weekend Phoenix car accidents

A Phoenix car accident killed two motorists and injured four others on Sunday night, Channel 13 News reported.

Police report the driver of a car carrying six people lost control and slammed into a tree on Thomas Avenue in west Phoenix. Two people were pronounced dead at the scene and four others were ejected from the vehicle and transported to area hospitals in serious or critical condition.

Authorities report they are also looking for a black pickup truck that may have played a role in the accident. The victims range in age from 3 to 18. The 3-year-old was in critical condition.

AZ Family reports the fatal accident may have started as a street race. According to that report, police content a Ford Mustang and the Chevy pickup were traveling westbound on Thomas Road at a high rate of speed. The accident happened just before 10 p.m. when the driver of the Mustang reportedly lost control and slammed into a tree in the median.

The road was closed until after 6 a.m. Monday. The truck fled the scene and is being sought by authorities. It is described as a newer-model, two-door Chevy pickup truck and may have rear-end damage. It was last seen driving at a high rate of speed westbound on Thomas.

As our Phoenix injury attorneys have been reporting, summer is a particularly dangerous time for young drivers and their passengers. Auto accidents are the leading cause of death for teenagers ages 15 to 20, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The risk of young drivers being involved in a serious or fatal traffic accident increases as school lets out for summer.

Please visit out most recent teen safe driving post on our Phoenix Injury Lawyer Blog and speak with your young drivers about safe driving habits.

Two other young motorists died in a Phoenix crash on Saturday, ABC 15 reported. That accident occurred shortly before 10 a.m. on I-17 northbound between Black Canyon City and Cordes Junction. Authorities report the driver of a pickup lost control after a tire blew out, causing the vehicle to roll several times.

Five passengers were riding in the cab of the truck and three were traveling in the bed. They were part of a youth group from My Friend’s House Family Worship Center in Phoenix, according to the media report. The female driver, who was reportedly the mother of at least two of the passengers, was thrown from the truck and seriously injured.

Two young men in the bed of the truck were killed and a third was critically injured.

It is legal for passengers to ride in the bed of a truck as long as the cab is filled, according to Arizona Department of Public Safety.