GILBERT, AZ — Two people have died and another was taken to a hospital after a crash in Gilbert Friday night.
Police said it happened in the intersection of Recker and Ray roads just before 9 p.m.
Officials said a driver was taken to a hospital in critical condition. Two people in a second vehicle were pronounced deceased on scene, police said.
On Sunday, Gilbert Police said 36-year-old Nicole Snell was the ride share driver and 33-year-old Marisa Jorgenson was the passenger.
Police say a Ford Explorer, driven by a 35-year-old man, was going west on Ray Road when witnesses noticed it was going at a “high rate of speed.”
Witnesses told police the driver of the SUV went into the intersection with a red signal where it then crashed with Snell’s sedan. Gilbert Police say the crash caused Snell’s car to spin and hit the traffic pole and the SUV rolled as well.
Impairment is believed to be a factor in the crash, according to police. As of Monday, police said there was no new update on the driver since the crash sent him to the hospital.
In the video below, hear from family and friends of Snell, the driver, as they share her story with ABC15.
Snell's friends have also set up a GoFundMe to help her mother and for funeral expenses.
ABC15 also spoke with Jorgenson’s family, who say she was on the way to meet with friends that night when the crash happened.
“Marisa… she wouldn't even take a sip of alcohol and drive. It would never even enter her mind because she was so adamant about not drinking and driving,” her mom, Julie, said.
Jorgenson was the middle child of three.
Jorgenson’s family said she was an avid runner and was also a pharmacist.
She was also a mother of two boys, ages three and five.
Her children’s father, David Chalmers, said he will continue to keep her memory alive with their young boys. He promises to continue her tradition of getting ice cream with them every Friday after school.
“My focus right now, for the boys, is to keep her memory alive through the rituals of getting ice cream, spending time with the family and keeping her memory alive,” he said.
The Jorgenson family also set up a GoFundMe to help her boys.
Police say the driver, once he is out of the hospital, “will be arrested and booked into the custody of the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office."
The investigation remains ongoing.
