Grandmother killed, 2 family members injured while changing tire on Mesa freeway

MESA, AZ (AZFamily) — An 82-year-old grandmother is dead and two family members are hospitalized after troopers say a suspected impaired driver crashed into their vehicles early Wednesday morning while they were pulled over on U.S. 60 near Higley Road. Javier Valenzuela said his cousin and his grandmother, Ruth Acuña de Valenzuela, were driving home from dinner when a flat tire forced them to the shoulder of the freeway. “They’re really close, they were really close, so he was always taking her everywhere,” Valenzuela said. Valenzuela’s aunt and uncle arrived to help change the tire and offered to drive Ruth home. “Since he was on a spare, my aunt and uncle told him, ‘We’ll take your grandma home, because you’re on a spare, just go straight home and we’ll take her home’,” Valenzuela said. Driver faces multiple felony charges Troopers said 21-year-old Zachary Robert Penrod then slammed into both family vehicles.

Missing media or need the complete publisher report? Open AZ Family ↗