Head-on car crash in Arizona leaves five dead
PHOENIX (Reuters) - Drunken driving is suspected of playing a role in a weekend highway collision between two automobiles that left five people dead outside of Phoenix, Arizona, authorities said on Monday.
The two cars crashed head-on at about 8 p.m. local time on Sunday along Hunt Highway near Sun Lakes, about 25 miles southeast of the state capital, said Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office spokesman Officer Chris Hegstrom.
Four people were pronounced dead on the scene, and a fifth died at a nearby hospital, Hegstrom said.
The dead included the driver of one automobile who was alone in that vehicle, plus the driver and three passengers from the second car. There were no survivors.
Circumstances of the accident were not immediately available, but Hegstrom said excessive speed and alcohol may have been factors in the accident. The posted speed limit along the stretch of highway where the crash occurred is 45 miles per hour.
The identities of the victims were not immediately released.
(Reporting by David Schwartz in Phoenix; Editing by Steve Gorman and Bernadette Baum)
