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Suspected impaired driver kills 2 women in Gilbert crash
An Uber driver and her passenger both died in a fiery car crash at South Recker Road and East Ray Road in Gilbert on Sept. 19 after a suspected drunk driver slammed into their vehicle.
GILBERT, Ariz. - The loved ones of an Uber driver and her passenger, who both died in a fiery crash on Sept. 19, spoke out after a suspected drunk driver slammed into their car.
What we know:
A growing memorial of flowers now marks the intersection where the crash took place at South Recker Road and East Ray Road.
"We got the news at 4 a.m….when the police showed up to the house and gave us the news," said Robert Ortiz, Nicole Snell's stepfather.
Marisa Jorgenson's best friend, Naomi Parker, also spoke about the moment she learned of the crash.
"The last thing she had texted me was, 'Love you on my way.' And then she didn't come," Parker said.
Marisa Jorgenson, 33, was in the backseat of an Uber heading to her best friend's house. Her Uber driver that night was 36-year-old Nicole Snell.
"She was ubering just to be safe. And the fact that someone who was not making that same kind of smart decision took her life and took her away from her boys. It makes me really mad," Parker said.
According to Gilbert police, a 35-year-old man was speeding, entered the intersection with a red light, and hit Snell's car.
The impact caused Snell's car to hit a pole, and the two women did not survive.
"That was a little bit of comfort knowing that she didn't suffer," Ortiz said. "We saw the wreckage and the driver's side. It was just, it looked like somebody blew up the car. I mean, it was just violent."
What they're saying:
Nicole Snell's mother and stepfather describe her as a free spirit who loved to travel. She was a dental assistant, dog groomer, and an Uber driver.
"The last text I got from her said, 'I'm ubering,' and she gave me a little banana emoji, which means she's okay. It was her code," said Lucinda Ortiz, Snell's mother. "So she was doing the right thing and helping people get home."
Snell was driving Jorgenson to her best friend's house.
"I had her location," Parker said. "And so I went to check on her. And so I arrived at the accident, was there with her family."
Parker said she has known Jorgenson since they were eight years old. She described her as funny, warm, and a wonderful mother to two young boys.
"She wanted her whole life to be a mom," Parker said. "And when she found out she was pregnant with Ezra, it was the best day of her life. And then she was blessed with Milo, too. And they are just the greatest little boys."
What's next:
Gilbert police say the 35-year-old male driver, whose name has not yet been made public, will be arrested once released from the hospital.
GoFundMe's have been set up for both families.
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The Source: This information was gathered by Gilbert police and FOX 10's Lindsey Ragas, who interviewed the families of the victims on Sept. 22.