SCOTTSDALE - Two women and a police dog were shot and seriously wounded after a running gunbattle between two cars that crashed into the Arizona Canal near 64th Street and Indian School Road.
Witnesses reported that gunfire was exchanged around 11:15 p.m. Monday between a white Ford pickup truck and a green Saturn sedan as the drivers raced northbound on 64th Street from Thomas Road.
Five people were transported to area hospitals, including those who dived into the canal to help victims after the drivers lost control, the Fire Department said. advertisement
One of the women was shot in the head and was in extremely critical condition, according to police. The other woman was shot in the back.
Both women were recent immigrants from Mexico, smuggled across the U.S. border by "coyotes" during the past few days, Scottsdale police said.
Police are investigating the incident with immigration officials.
One male suspect, who police said was connected to a coyote smuggling operation, was arrested after he fled the scene of the accident.
At least one other suspect, who was in the truck with the arrested man, is still wanted in connection with the violence.
Meanwhile, a police K-9 working dog was shot and wounded by an officer.
The dog accidentally bit the officer as police searched for suspects from the shooting, police said.
The accident shut down Indian School Road westbound between 64th and 68th streets early Tuesday as Scottsdale police worked to recover evidence from the canal.
Police Sgt. Mark Clark said the accident involved at least six people. The shooters have yet to be identified.
Two men were in the pickup truck. Four people, two men and the two women who were shot, were in the Saturn.
Clark said a connection was evident between the two vehicles, although police were working to determine why shots were fired.
"We don't know how long the confrontation was going on," Clark said. "Our first indication was from another motorist who saw the two cars smashing into each other."
Clark added that it was possible the road-rage chase began outside Scottsdale because the scene of the accident is close to Phoenix and Tempe.
After the two vehicles crashed into the canal, the two male suspects from the pickup reportedly fled on foot.
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