The Mesa community is mourning the death of Hanna Blazer, a school counselor at Desert Ridge High School who was killed in a multi-vehicle crash on the Loop 202 freeway Thursday afternoon.
Blazer, who was pregnant at the time of the collision, sustained fatal injuries in the crash reported near Power Road on August 13, according to the Arizona Department of Public Safety.
The collision involved as many as five vehicles. Authorities said a large work truck failed to stop for congested traffic and struck multiple vehicles, setting off a chain-reaction crash.
One of the vehicles was forced off the roadway and down an embankment. Blazer, who was driving that vehicle, died as a result of the collision, DPS said.
Authorities also confirmed that Blazer was pregnant and that her full-term unborn child did not survive the crash.
News of Blazer’s death has brought particular sorrow to the Desert Ridge High School community, where she worked as a counselor and supported students in their academic and personal lives.
Her death represents a devastating loss not only for her family but also for students, colleagues and others who knew her through her work at the school.
The circumstances of the crash remained under investigation following the collision. Authorities have not indicated that additional details about the circumstances surrounding the fatal crash were immediately available.
As the investigation continues, the Mesa community is left mourning a woman whose life was devoted in part to helping young people navigate important moments in their lives.
Blazer’s death, along with the loss of her unborn child, has left friends, colleagues and members of the school community confronting a heartbreaking tragedy that occurred during an ordinary afternoon on the East Valley freeway.
