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Driver flees West Phoenix hit-and-run that left 75-year-old woman dead

By
Published  March 21, 2026 2:29pm MST
Crime and Public Safety
FOX 10 Phoenix

The Brief

    • Phoenix Police are searching for a hit-and-run driver who struck and killed a 75-year-old woman as she was getting into a parked car near 42nd and Orangewood Avenues.
    • The collision occurred Friday morning when a driver attempted to squeeze between two vehicles, hitting the woman and fleeing the scene immediately afterward.
    • The suspect and their vehicle remain unknown.

PHOENIX - Phoenix Police are searching for a driver who struck and killed a woman as she was getting into the passenger seat of a car. 

What we know:

The collision happened near 42nd Avenue and Orangewood Avenue at 11:37 a.m. on March 20.

Police said a woman, later identified as 75-year-old Maria Leal, was found in critical condition. She was later taken to a hospital where she died. 

Officers determined that Leal was getting into the passenger side of a parked car on the north side of the road. While one car slowed down to give her room, a second car tried passing by between the two cars and hit her.

After the collision, the second car fled the scene. 

What we don't know:

The driver of the vehicle is unknown. Police did not release the make and model of the vehicle. 

What you can do:

Anyone with information is asked to call police or Silent Witness at 480-948-6377.

Map of the nearby location of the collision.

The Source: Phoenix Police Department

Crime and Public SafetyPhoenixNews