In the early morning hours of Tuesday, December 10, 2024, a tragic car accident claimed the lives of two men on Grand Avenue in west Phoenix. The victims, identified as 28-year-old Aaron Soto, who was driving the vehicle, and his passenger, 28-year-old Angel Loera, died instantly at the scene.
The accident, which occurred just after 7 a.m. during the morning rush hour, involved a high-speed collision between Soto’s car and a semi-truck that was attempting to make a left turn. The driver of the semi-truck, who sustained minor injuries, was transported to a local hospital and later confirmed not to have been impaired at the time of the crash.
The incident, described by authorities as preventable, underscores ongoing concerns about reckless driving, speed management, and road safety in bustling urban areas like Phoenix.
The crash took place on a busy stretch of Grand Avenue, a primary thoroughfare that connects downtown Phoenix to its western suburbs and sees a high volume of commercial and commuter traffic daily.
According to initial police reports, Aaron Soto was traveling northwest on Grand Avenue at a speed far exceeding the posted limit when his vehicle slammed into the rear of a semi-truck turning left onto 33rd Avenue from southeast Grand Avenue.
The impact of the collision was catastrophic, with both Soto and Loera pronounced dead at the scene by first responders. The semi-truck’s driver, whose name has not been released, was reported to have sustained minor injuries but was otherwise unharmed. He cooperated fully with investigators, and police confirmed there were no signs of impairment or negligence on his part.
