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1 child dead, 5 other children injured in Buckeye rollover crash; DUI suspected

Police said there were six children in the car during a single-vehicle, rollover crash on Saturday.
Credit: Thinkstock
Police car on the street at night

BUCKEYE, Ariz. — One child is dead and five other children have been seriously injured in a single-vehicle rollover crash in Buckeye on Saturday, Arizona Department of Public Safety officials said.

While traveling on State Route 85 near milepost 153 in Buckeye, police said a vehicle that had six children and two adults inside drifted off the road, crossed multiple lanes, spun around and rolled over until it came to a rest on its wheels. 

A woman sitting in the passenger seat and four children were all ejected during the crash. DPS officials said one of the ejected children was pronounced dead on the scene. 

The other five children were hospitalized at Phoenix Children's Hospital with serious injuries. The woman, who officials said was not wearing a seatbelt, was also taken to the hospital, although her condition is unknown. 

The driver, a man identified by police as 35-year-old Christopher Alonzo, was arrested after DPS troopers said they saw he had bloodshot eyes and a strong odor of alcohol on his breath.

Troopers said the children told officials that Alonzo and the woman had been drinking earlier in the day and that the two were physically fighting while driving. 

Alonzo was booked on charges including one count of manslaughter, five counts of endangerment and five counts of aggravated assault.

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