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Three teenagers dead in crash at 23rd Avenue/Dunlap, police say

3 teenagers dead in wrong-way PHX crash
Posted at 8:11 AM, Aug 19, 2018
and last updated 2018-08-20 17:59:21-04

Three teenagers are dead following a crossover crash in Phoenix.

Phoenix police said the crash happened at 23rd and Dunlap avenues at 12:15 a.m. on Sunday. 

According to Phoenix police, the driver of one of the vehicles was traveling eastbound on Dunlap Avenue when it drove over the center line and into westbound traffic. 

The vehicle collided with a second vehicle that was traveling westbound. One of the passengers in the crossover vehicle, a 16-year-old boy was transported to the hospital where he was pronounced dead.

A 15-year-old, 16-year-old and a 17-year-old that were in the vehicle are in critical condition at an area hospital. 

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Both occupants of the vehicle traveling westbound were pronounced dead at the scene. 

Police have identified the driver of that vehicle as 18-year-old Nijah Chibeast. The passenger in the vehicle was a 17-year-old female.

Chibeast's family said Nijah was in the car with her girlfriend, who police have yet to identify. The two were planning to get married next year and had plans to have a baby, according to the family.

Lamaris Carter, Nijah's brother, said his sister was lively, fun, goofy, loved to play around and always had a smile on her face. 

"She was there for me for all 16 years of my life, since day one. She was my rock man," Carter said, adding that his sister was very active in her church. "She's safe now. She's in heaven and she'll always be happy and happiness will always be with her."

It appears that impairment is possible in this collision, police say.

"It's like it's not real...it's not happening," Cere Leggs said, Nijah's cousin.

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