Phoenix man dies after being pinned under vehicle in apartment complex driveway near 19th Avenue

What happened

A man died late Tuesday night in central Phoenix after he was struck by a vehicle inside an apartment complex driveway near the intersection of 19th Avenue and Buckeye Road, police said.

Officers were dispatched to the area just before 11:30 p.m. following a report of a collision involving a pedestrian. When police arrived, the man was found pinned beneath a vehicle. Fire crews removed him from under the vehicle and he was taken to a hospital, where he later died.

What investigators have said so far

Police said preliminary findings indicate the man was lying in the driveway when the vehicle struck him. The driver remained at the scene and the investigation was continuing.

Authorities did not immediately release the man’s identity or age, and no information was provided on whether impairment, speed, mechanical failure, or other factors may have contributed. It was also not clear whether investigators believed the victim was visible to the driver prior to impact or why the man was in the driveway.

Key unanswered questions

• How and why the victim was positioned in the driveway before the vehicle approached.
• The vehicle’s direction of travel and whether lighting or visibility conditions played a role.
• Whether the vehicle moved from a stop, was entering or exiting the complex, or was traveling through the property.
• Whether investigators will recommend criminal charges or treat the death as an accident pending further findings.

Why driveway incidents can be difficult to reconstruct

Crashes in apartment driveways and private-property lanes can present challenges for investigators because they may involve lower speeds but complex visibility conditions, including limited sightlines, lighting contrasts at night, and close proximity to parked vehicles and building structures. Reconstruction can also depend heavily on physical evidence at the scene, vehicle data, surveillance video (if available), and witness statements.

Police described the case as an ongoing investigation and said the driver stayed at the scene.

What happens next

Investigators are expected to continue documenting the scene and collecting evidence to determine the sequence of events, including how long the victim may have been in the driveway and whether any contributing factors were present. The case file will typically be reviewed for potential traffic violations or other charges if evidence supports them.