A man fleeing from a traffic stop killed a woman in a collision before dying from injuries he sustained in the collision.
According to the Phoenix Police Department, on January 29, 2026, around 11:34 p.m., an officer conducted a traffic stop of a vehicle in the area of 59th Avenue and Lower Buckeye Road. The officer made contact with the adult male driver, later identified as 40-year-old Ruben Almanza who showed signs of impairment.
After speaking with Almanza for several minutes, Almanza put his vehicle into drive and fled from the traffic stop at a high rate of speed westbound on Lower Buckeye Road. Impairment was suspected regarding Almanza during the initial traffic stop.
The officer gave out information related to the vehicle description and direction of travel to other units in the area along with the Air Support Unit. The officer did not follow the vehicle as it continued westbound through 67th Avenue.
A short time later, a call for service came in regarding a vehicle collision in the area of 75th Avenue and Lower Buckeye Road. Officers arrived and located the vehicle driven by Almanza, and another vehicle, both of which were involved in the collision. The second vehicle was driven by an adult female identified as 35-year-old Melvina Jones. Jones did not survive her injuries suffered due to the collision and was pronounced deceased on scene.
Almanza was transported to a nearby hospital, where he also did not survive and was pronounced deceased.
Detectives believe that the vehicle driven by Almanza was westbound on Lower Buckeye Road when it crossed into oncoming traffic and collided with the vehicle driven by Jones, which was eastbound.
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