Man honors woman who died after crashing through his block wall
Brooke Newman
Police identified the 48-year-old woman killed in a two-car collision on Oct. 26 near 29th Avenue and Bell Road as Tran Viet Truong.
Local neighbors who assisted Truong in the crash have created a memorial in their backyard, honoring her life.
Truong was driving west in a black Toyota Camry while a 64-year-old man driving a Dodge Durango was traveling east on Bell Road.
The driver of the Durango crossed over the raised median into oncoming traffic, colliding with Truong and propelling her car into a block wall. Police suspect impairment as a factor in the collision, Phoenix police Sgt. Ann Justus said on the day of the crash.
Lewis Armstrong told The Arizona Republic he and his brothers were at the scene as the collision occurred through their block wall.
"The guy in the SUV tried to get out to leave the scene. My brothers kept her and him safe as I stopped all traffic from driving through or from blocking the way for help to get to them," Armstrong said.
Flowers were left at the site of the accident, however, some people at the nearby bus stop threw them over the wall onto Armstrong's property, he said.
Armstrong said he is now using them in a modest memorial to honor her.
"They are safe in our backyard on a bench my dad made before he passed away," Armstrong said.
Multiple bouquets of flowers sit on a bench in front of the hole in his wall, which is covered with a folding table and surrounded by rubble.
Reach breaking news reporter Brooke Newman at brooke.newman@arizonarepublic.com or on Twitter @brookerae17.