Woman killed in Phoenix wreck, 2 granddaughters in car
A grandmother was killed in a West Valley car accident while driving with her two granddaughters on Thursday. A suspected drunk driver allegedly ran a red light and collided into a minivan near 83rd Avenue and Encanto around 5:30 pm Thursday. The grandmother, 65-year-old Mary Lou Patina, and her two girls, ages 4 and 11, were inside the vehicle. Patina died in the front seat shortly after the impact. Police believe the driver who caused the accident, 19-year-old Samuel Soto, was under the influence of alcohol and told ABC15 they found beer in his car. Sgt. Joel Tranter with the Phoenix Police Department said Soto remains in the hospital in critical condition and charges are pending. Officers say he ran a red light and was speeding. Tranter said Soto was driving east bound in a 2005 Chevy Avalanche pickup, ran a red light and hit Patina, who was driving a 1999 Plymouth minivan. Soto also ran into Carlos Gonzalez-Moreno, who was driving a 2005 Chevy pickup, Tranter said. Gonzalez-Moreno sustained minor injuries, he said.


