PHOENIX — Arizona Department of Public Safety officials say a child was killed in a crash along Interstate 10 near 75th Avenue on Sunday night.
Officials say the collision occurred around 7:45 p.m. in the eastbound lanes of travel. A pickup truck reportedly struck a passenger car, which then struck a concrete median wall.
DPS says the passenger car had five people inside, including two children.
A 6-year-old girl died, and a 2-year-old was hospitalized in stable condition.
Family identified the 6-year-old as Armyah Mixon. Her grandmother, Quaneisha Beavers, said Mixon, her parents, and two sisters were headed to the Arizona State Fair at the time of the crash.
“I love her so much. I am going to miss my granddaughter,” Beavers said. "This individual doesn’t know what he’s done to our family.”
Beavers said Mixon was a caring, energetic little girl who loved to be with her family, go to the park, and achieve her goals in school.
“Just beautiful inside and out,” Beavers said. “Her spirit, just her personality when she walked in the room, she just lit it up.”
The pickup truck driver, identified by officials as 21-year-old Turatsinze Gadi, fled the scene after the crash but was located nearby at a gas station and taken into custody.
Court documents revealed he had a blood alcohol content of .219, more than two and a half times the legal limit.
Gadi was booked into jail and faces second-degree homicide, aggravated assault, and endangerment charges, according to DPS.
“We definitely want justice to the highest level. You took our grandbaby away, a daughter,” Beavers said.
The family is currently accepting donations online to help with funeral expenses and medical costs as Mixon’s younger sister is still in the hospital.
