On Saturday, at 2:08 a.m., troopers responded to a multi-vehicle, fatality collision on westbound I-10 at 67th Avenue. A vehicle that ran out of gas was stopped in the number five lane when a second vehicle stopped behind it.
As they were both stopped, a third vehicle struck the second vehicle forcing it into the vehicle that was out of gas.
Following the collision, the driver of the third vehicle, 35-year-old Jose Manuel Sapata Jr. of Phoenix, fled the scene and was later located and arrested. He was charged with manslaughter, endangerment, leaving the scene of a fatal collision, aggravated Assault and criminal damage.
The driver of the out-of-gas vehicle also left the scene after the collision. He was located and arrested. He has been identified as 26-year-old Paul Richard Portillo-Aleman of Phoenix and was charged with manslaughter, endangerment, aggravated assault and leaving the scene of a fatal collision.
Impairment is suspected on both drivers.
The driver of the second vehicle, 29-year-old Marisela Noriega was declared deceased at the scene. A passenger and two infant children were transported to local hospitals with non-life-threatening injuries.