Police to seek charges in Phoenix crash that killed pedestrian and unborn child

Phoenix police plan to seek criminal charges at the end of an investigation of a north Phoenix crash during which a car struck a group of pedestrians on the sidewalk, killing an 18-year-old man and the unborn child of a pregnant 15year-old girl, officials announced Friday morning.

Police will submit charges of manslaughter, aggravated assault and endangerment to the county attorney at the conclusion of the investigation, according to a news release.

Police also identified the 18-year-old man who died as Jonathan Marroquin. The unborn child was 31 weeks in utero, Cox said.

About 11 a.m. Thursday, the 25-yearold male driver of a 2013 Dodge Avenger was traveling westbound on Bell Road and sped into the intersection at 35th Avenue, colliding with an eastbound 2005 Ford Mustang that turned left in front of him at the intersection.

The collision caused the Avenger to spin and drift several hundred feet onto a sidewalk hitting four pedestrians, Sgt. Maggie Cox, a Phoenix police spokeswoman, said.

Both drivers were uninjured in the crash. Neither driver was found to be impaired.

While the investigation is not complete, Cox said, “speed appears to be a factor for the Avenger.”

The 15-year-old girl remains in serious condition. An 18-year-old woman who was struck at the scene has nonlife-threatening injuries, and a 51year-old man had minor injuries to his foot and was released at the scene, Cox said.