PD: 2 teens killed, 4 hurt after car hits tree in Phoenix

PHOENIX - Two teens were killed and four others were hurt after a car crashed into a tree in Phoenix on Sunday night.

Phoenix Police Sergeant Trent Crump said witnesses observed a 2000 red Ford Mustang and a newer model black Chevrolet pickup truck traveling westbound on Thomas Road from 75th Avenue at a high rate of speed just before 10 p.m.

As the vehicles raced westbound the driver of the Ford Mustang, 18-year-old Alexandra Espinoza, reportedly lost control of the vehicle and struck a large palm tree in the center median near 82nd Avenue and Thomas Road.

Of the six occupants of the Mustang, Crump said Espinoza and a 14-year-old male, who was a front seat passenger, were pronounced dead at the scene. The 14-year-old reportedly took the vehicle without his parent's permission. Because of his age, his identity will not be released.

Two of his brothers were in the vehicle with him, including a 14-year-old stepbrother and a 3-year-old brother, according to Crump. They remain in extremely critical condition.

Crump said Espinoza’s 14-year-old sister and the sister's boyfriend, a 16-year-old male, were in the vehicle and were ejected out onto the roadway. The driver's sister is in critical condition and the boyfriend is in serious condition.

The outstanding vehicle believed to be racing with the Mustang at the time of the collision has been described to investigators as a newer model 2002-2008, black Chevy Silverado pickup.

The vehicle has tinted windows and may be lifted slightly. The vehicle is believed to be a 2-door, extended-cab model that may have damage to the rear of the vehicle.

Anyone with information about this vehicle is asked to call Phoenix police.