Phoenix Fire officials say a motorcyclist is dead after a serious crash on Tuesday morning.
Officials say a pick-up truck and motorcyclist collided near 12th Street and Missouri. Bystanders reportedly tried to pull the motorcyclist away from the motorcycle, which had caught fire.
Unfortunately, the man died at the scene. He has since been identified as Celso Salinas-Mireles.
Celso's friend, Viridiana Hernandez, says he always encouraged her.
"Celso was one of the first people who reminded me my voice was important," Hernandez said.
Police say the 51-year-old woman driving the other vehicle was cited for running a red light, and for not having a driver's license at the scene. She has not been identified.
Celso's wife, Ileana, says she'll always remember her husband as being courageous.
"What I loved most about him was that he wasn't afraid to say what he thought," she explained.
Celso was a Hispanic activist and always pushed for what he believed in.
"We lost a passionate leader," Ileana said. "We lost a fighter and life-long learner. He had a passion for learning and he was not afraid of anything because he knew he could figure it out; he could learn it. We lost somebody who believed it was possible for us to have justice.
He constantly shared his wisdom with others, according to his loved ones. His most important message: "Allies are important to our cause and powerful and their voice and support matters."
A GoFundMe page has been set up to help the family.
