What began as a fun Saturday night at a community event turned into a harrowing near-death experience for a Maricopa mother and her two sons. A suspected drunk driver lost control of his vehicle and nearly collided with their car head-on.
Rancho El Dorado resident Mandy Spencer had just wrapped up three hours of face painting at the Gud Ark Glow Party when she was on her way home.
“It was such a good time,” said Spencer, describing the party. “Over 100 people showed up, and I probably face painted 50 kids. It flew by.”
After the event, Spencer and her sons, aged 11 and 13, were headed home for a promised “all-nighter,” one last hoorah before the school year started again.
They were on Papago Road around 9:45 p.m., headed home.
“It was really dark out, and I saw a truck coming westbound with its hazard lights on,” recalled Spencer. She said the driver “started to swerve, then he hit an orange construction barrier. The truck flipped. I saw headlights in front of me and then above me.”
Spencer swerved sharply to the right, narrowly avoiding a stop sign and managing to stop on the dirt shoulder. Her younger son, seated in the front, watched it all unfold in real time.
“We just sat there looking at each other like, ‘Did that just happen?’” said Spencer. “I looked behind us and saw the truck in the road. I started crying. My son called my husband, and I dialed 911.”
Spencer said she ran to the crashed vehicle, its windows shattered and doors crumpled, and pounded on the side to see if anyone was inside.
“I yelled, ‘Are you okay?’ and he said, ‘Yeah.’ I asked if he was hurt and he said no,” she recalled. “A man stopped to help get him out. He didn’t have a scratch on him.”
According to Spencer, first responders from the Pinal County Sheriff’s Office arrived about half an hour later. Spencer said authorities on the scene reportedly confirmed the driver appeared to be under the influence. Spencer’s opinion is that “it was clear he was intoxicated.” Law enforcement has not confirmed these details.
The crash left the truck mangled, but miraculously upright, on all four tires.
“I’m an auto injury adjuster. I’ve seen photos and footage, but nothing like this in person. It felt like a movie,” said Spencer. “If I hadn’t swerved, he would’ve landed right on top of us. Roof to roof.”
While no one in Spencer’s car was physically injured, the emotional aftermath has been difficult. Both she and her younger son, who witnessed the truck coming at them, have struggled to get back behind the wheel.
“He told me he has PTSD from it,” she said. “And honestly, so do I. Every time headlights come toward me on a one-lane road, I tense up.”
The family’s planned all-nighter was canceled that evening. “We just went to bed,” Spencer said.
Spencer said she hopes her story is a reminder of the dangers of reckless driving.
“This valley is growing fast, and so are the accidents,” she said. “People need to slow down, pay attention. We don’t want to lose more people. We’re just lucky to be alive. That’s all I keep thinking.”
Pinal County Sheriff’s Deputies found a blue Ford F-150 on its side. The 38 year old driver declined medical treatment. Alcohol is believed to be a factor in the wreck. The case remains open, while they wait for blood test results.
Spencer’s boys ended up getting that all-nighter the next night.
