BUCKEYE, AZ (June 21, 2024):At approximately 10:15 p.m. last night, a Buckeye police officer conducting proactive traffic enforcement at the Verrado and Sunrise intersection observed a black Dodge Challenger fail to stop at a stop sign and continue northbound at a high rate of speed. The officer activated their emergency lights and attempted to conduct a traffic stop. The driver took off speeding, and the officer lost sight of the car and deactivated the emergency lights.

Buckeye police continued to patrol the area. A short time later, an officer observed the same car speeding southbound on Verrado without headlights near Indian School Rd. The officer turned around to attempt to locate the car. As the officer searched, a motorist advised the officer that the car was seen continuing southbound on Verrado. The officer then found the car had crashed into a tree on Verrado Way near Sunrise.

Police found the vehicle had a total of three occupants. The 18-year-old male driver and a 15-year-old male passenger were transported to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. The other passenger, identified as 18-year-old Yaritza Vasquez, died at the scene. Speed is considered a factor in this crash, and the investigation is ongoing.