Family hospitalized following collision with wrong-way driver

A wrong-way driver on the Loop 101 sent a mother and her four children to the hospital following an early Sunday morning crash.

BY KTAR NEWSROOM

Apr 3, 2016, 9:50 AM Updated: Apr 4, 2016, 12:41 pm

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A wrong-way driver on the Loop 101 sent a mother and her four children to the hospital following an early Sunday morning crash.

According to Bart Graves with the Arizona Department of Public Safety, the agency received multiple reports around 2:30 a.m. of a wrong-way driver, later identified as 44-year-old David Van Lenz, going eastbound in the westbound lanes of the 101 near 19th avenue.

A short time later DPS received several more calls that a crash had occurred near Seventh Avenue. There officials found Lenz had slammed into a mini-van carrying 24-year-old Amber Cordner and her four small children ranging in ages from a month old to 6 years old.

Graves said the entire family was transported to Phoenix Children’s Hospital.

A 3-year-old was admitted after doctors found a neck injury and cracked pelvis.

A 6-year-old girl was treated for a head laceration.

The infant was transported for observation while Cordner received minor injures. None of the injures were life-threatening.

“Fortunately all the children were belted in, the infant was in a booster seat and that we believe mitigated their injuries,” he said.

Graves added the father was was following Cordner’s mini-van in another vehicle at the time of the accident. He said the man witnessed the crash and assisted rescue crews in getting his children and wife out of their vehicle.

Graves said Lenz is in the intensive care unit and will face charges of aggravated assault and endangerment when he is released.

Lenz could be charged with more crimes.