Hit-and-Run Crash Kills Driver on Loop 202

January 12, 2021

LAVEEN, AZ – A man was killed Sunday afternoon after his vehicle was struck by a hit-and-run driver on Loop 202, CBS 5 reports.

The accident occurred within the southbound lanes of the freeway near the exit to Southern Avenue. A gold minivan crashed into a blue passenger vehicle and then left the scene.

Firefighters performed CPR on an occupant of the blue passenger vehicle; he was later identified as 70-year-old Douglas Lee Smith. Smith was transported to a nearby hospital where he succumbed to his injuries a short time later.

Officers with the Phoenix Police Department caught up with the van near the intersection of 51st Avenue and Southern Avenue, about 30 minutes after the collision. Its driver has been identified as 26-year-old Marcus Xavier Castro.

Witnesses say Castro was driving erratically and weaving in and out of traffic prior to the crash. He was arrested and charged with leaving an accident with serious injury and reckless manslaughter.

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If you have been injured or if you lost a loved one as a result of the reckless behavior of another motorist in the Phoenix area, you could be eligible to pursue compensation.

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