17-year-old arrested on murder charges in Peoria crash that killed 5

PHOENIX — A 17-year-old boy was arrested and charged with murder in a 2022 crash in Peoria that left five people dead, authorities said Friday.

The boy, whose name was not released, was booked on five counts of second-degree murder in the incident that happened on Nov. 20, 2022.

The crash occurred around 9 p.m. on 107th Avenue between Deer Valley Road and Rose Garden Lane.

A Mazda van carrying two adults and four children was turning left from Lone Cactus Drive onto 107th Avenue when it was hit by the boy driving a Jeep, police said.

The van’s driver, 36-year-old Elizabeth Simpson of Glendale, and front-seat passenger, 31-year-old Jace Hochstetler of Phoenix, were pronounced dead at the scene.

The four children were taken to a hospital, where a 14-year-old girl died.

Two of the other children died following the crash, according to police.

Impairment and speed were believed to be factors in the crash, police said.

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