Raul Silva Corona, 42, and Officer Brandon Mendoza, 32, killed in crash on U.S. Highway 60 on May 12.

Modified Date: 
Wed, 09/24/2014 - 11:33am
Accident Date: 
Sunday, May 11, 2014

Police ID suspected wrong-way driver in crash that killed officer

Police have released the identity of the suspected wrong-way driver in Monday morning's head-on crash that killed an off-duty Mesa police officer.

Services set for Mesa Police Officer Brandon Mendoza

Officer Brandon Mendoza, 32, was hit and killed on a southeast Valley freeway on Monday morning by 42-year-old Raul Silva Corona of Phoenix. Mendoza was on his way home from his shift when the two vehicles collided head-on.

Driver, off-duty Mesa officer dead after fiery head-on crash

A suspected wrong-way driver and an off-duty Mesa police officer died in a fiery head-on crash early Monday morning. The suspected wrong-way driver was first seen going east in the westbound lanes of the Loop 101 Pima Freeway near Cactus Road in Scottsdale about 12:30 a.m., said Carrick Cook of the Arizona Department of Public Safety.

A suspected wrong-way driver and an off-duty Mesa police officer died in a fiery head-on crash early Monday morning.

The suspected wrong-way driver was first seen going east in the westbound lanes of the Loop 101 Pima Freeway near Cactus Road in Scottsdale about 12:30 a.m., said Carrick Cook of the Arizona Department of Public Safety.

Mesa police Sgt. Tony Landato confirmed the officer worked for the Mesa Police Department.

"We are saddened beyond words to report that one of our officers was hit and killed this morning by a wrong-way driver," Landato said in a statement released about 5:30 a.m.

Cook said a DPS officer tried to intercept the driver in a Chevrolet Trailblazer going south on northbound State Route 51, but the driver tried to ram the officer, went around and took off before heading east on westbound Interstate 10.

The driver then traveled the wrong way up an HOV ramp from U.S. Highway 60, where the SUV struck a passenger car driven by the officer, Cook said. Both cars erupted in flames.

The off-duty officer was returning home from his shift when his car was struck, Cook said.

The driver of the SUV died at the scene, and the officer was taken to a Phoenix hospital with life-threatening injuries, but later died.

Type: Car Accident
People Involved: 
Raul Silva Corona
Brandon Mendoza
Roadway: 
U.S. Highway 60

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