Five people were killed Monday when a Nissan SUV burst into flames after it was struck by a driver who ran a red light on Tucson's southwest side, authorities said Tuesday.
The crash happened about 4:45 p.m. on Arizona 86 near South San Joaquin Road, west of the Tucson Mountains, the state Department of Public Safety said. That section of state highway is commonly known as West Ajo Way.
A westbound Toyota passenger car witnesses say was "traveling recklessly leading up to the collision," struck the side of the SUV after running a red light, Raul Garcia, a spokesman for the state DPS said in a news release Tuesday.
The impact pushed the SUV into the median and it burst into flames.
All five people in the SUV died at the crash scene, Garcia said.
The unidentified driver of the Toyota was taken to the hospital.
Impairment is believed to be a factor in the crash, Garcia said.
Detectives are withholding the identities of the SUV passengers pending confirmation by Pima County's Office of the Medical Examiner and next of kin notification, the release said.
The state DPS continues to investigate with assistance from the Pima County Sheriffโs Department, the Pima County Attorneyโs Office and the Arizona Department of Transportation.
