The crash happened around 8 p.m. near the intersection of Guadalupe and Ellsworth roads.
Mesa, AZ. – A 68-year-old woman died Saturday night after a collision at a busy Mesa intersection, where police arrested the other driver on suspicion of DUI.
The crash happened around 8 p.m. near the intersection of Guadalupe and Ellsworth roads. According to preliminary information, the woman was driving a Toyota 4Runner eastbound on Guadalupe Road and attempted to turn onto Ellsworth Road when the back end of her vehicle was clipped by a Honda Civic, causing minor damage.
Police said the woman got out of her SUV and told bystanders her heart was racing before she suddenly collapsed. She was rushed to the hospital, where she later died.
The driver of the Honda Civic remained at the scene and was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence. The name of the woman has not yet been released.
The investigation is ongoing.
In 2023, Mesa experienced a total of 41 fatal crashes, which resulted in 45 fatalities. This represents a decrease from the 43 fatal crashes reported in 2022. From 2017 to 2022, Mesa had 1,359 people killed or seriously injured in crashes, with data showing a significant long-term increase in roadway fatalities by 97% since 2014. A notable aspect of Mesa’s crash data is the high involvement of vulnerable road users; nearly one-third of all fatal crashes from 2014 to 2024 involved a pedestrian, and over half involved a pedestrian, bicyclist, or motorcyclist. In 2023 alone, 16 of the 45 fatalities were non-motorists (9 pedestrians and 7 bicyclists). Common contributing factors in fatal crashes for 2023 included speed (too fast for conditions) and failure to yield, which together accounted for 41.5% of reported violations in fatal incidents. Overall, failure to yield and disregarded signal violations were common citations for all user types, while speed was a related factor in nearly 20% of fatal crashes. Many serious and fatal crashes occur at intersections, with over half (58%) happening there.
Did You Lose Your Loved One in a Car Accident?
If you lost your family member in this Mesa car accident, visit our wrongful death attorney page and learn more about the legal options that you have.