Melvina Jones, a 35-year-old Phoenix resident, was tragically killed in a head-on accident late Thursday night. On January 29, 2026, just after 11:30 p.m., the fatal collision happened in Phoenix, Arizona, near the junction of 75th Avenue and Lower Buckeye Road. This crossroads is about 16 blocks, or two miles, west of the collision scene.
The collision was caused by 40-year-old Ruben Almanza, who had fled a traffic stop moments earlier. A Phoenix police officer had initially pulled Almanza over near 59th Avenue and Lower Buckeye Road on suspicion of driving under the influence after observing signs of impairment. After a brief interaction, Almanza put his vehicle into drive and sped away westbound on Lower Buckeye Road at a high rate of speed.
The officer did not pursue Almanza beyond the 67th Avenue intersection, adhering to department policy. Instead, the officer provided the vehicle’s description and direction of travel to other police units and the department’s air support. Shortly after this broadcast, police received reports of a serious two-vehicle crash just a few blocks away.
Preliminary information from the Phoenix Police Department indicates that Almanza, while driving west, crossed into the eastbound lanes of oncoming traffic. His vehicle then collided head-on with the car driven by Melvina Jones. The impact was severe, with one of the vehicles catching fire upon collision.
Emergency responders from the Phoenix Fire Department arrived to extinguish the fire and extricate a victim from one of the vehicles. Tragically, Melvina Jones was pronounced dead at the scene. Ruben Almanza was transported from the crash site to a nearby hospital with critical injuries, where he later died.
The Phoenix Police Department’s investigation into the fatal crash remains active. The incident has left the local community in mourning, as friends and family remember Melvina Jones and grapple with her sudden and tragic loss.