One killed, 12 hospitalized in pair of Phoenix car accidents on Sunday

A police cruiser collided with a Mercury sedan carrying 9 people on Sunday. The Phoenix car accident occurred about 7 p.m. at the intersection of Central Avenue and Alta Vista Road, the Arizona Republic reported.

The Mercury was driven by a 36-year-old woman; eight children, ages 4 to 17, were riding as passengers. All nine passengers were taken to the hospital for treatment; no life-threatening injuries were reported, according to police. Although no passenger vehicle contains nine seat belts, police report all nine passengers were properly restrained.

The officer was not injured and remained at the scene to assist with the investigation. The police department’s vehicular crimes unit was charged with investigating the accident.

The officer was responding to a domestic violence call at a restaurant near Central and Southern avenues at the time of the accident. Police had received a report of a man assaulting a woman at that location, ABC15 reported.

Police report that the officer was proceeding through the intersection against a red light when the sedan failed to yield and collided with the cruiser.

Elsewhere in Phoenix on Sunday, one person was killed and three injured in a Phoenix car accident on Interstate 17, the Arizona Republic reported.

Police report that three northbound vehicles collided near Pinnacle Peak Road at about 10 a.m. A 24-year-old woman was taken to John C. Lincoln Hospital, where she died as a result of her injuries. A 36-year-old man in the same vehicle was also hospitalized.

A second vehicle, a Ford Explorer, carried five passengers, including three children. Two teenagers, ages 13 and 16, were also transported to the hospital with minor injuries.