PHOENIX – Phoenix fire dispatcher Megan Lange was critically injured Tuesday by a wrong-way driver on the interstate.
Lange clung to life for nearly 15 hours after early-morning collision. She was on her way home from her shift when the wreck occurred, said Capt. Mark Vanacore, a Phoenix Fire Department spokesman.
Lange, a 26-year-old mother of two, was taken off life support on Tuesday shortly before 4 p.m., reported the Arizona Republic.
The wrong-way driver, Stephen Martin, and his passenger were both taken to the hospital with minor injuries, according to officials. Another driver, whose vehicle was sideswiped in the collision, suffered minor injuries.
Martin was arrested on suspicion of endangerment and aggravated assault and is expected to additionally face a second-degree murder charge, according to officials. Detectives suspect that alcohol impairment may have been a factor, but that matter is still under investigation, according to the DPS statement.
Lange’s supervisor, Jim Frazier said of Lange shortly before her death, “She’s an absolutely incredible person, a wonderful wife, and she would do anything for anybody, an absolute joy to be around.”
Frazier told the Arizona Republic that Lange was inspired by a desire to help people, and that led to her fire department career in 2009.
“She was a professional,” Frazier said. “She not only delivered babies over the phone, she helped save many lives.”
A co-worker, Sonya Valenzuela, described Lange to the Arizona Republic as quiet, sweet and crafty, with a desk cluttered with art supplies.
A Department of Public Safety officer said he noticed a Chevrolet SUV driving southbound in the northbound lanes of Interstate 17 in central Phoenix about 1 a.m. Tuesday.
The officer tried to slow northbound traffic behind him, but the wrong-way driver cut around him, sideswiped a passenger car and collided with Lange’s SUV, according to a DPS statement.
Lange is survived by her husband Patrick, 2-year-old and 6-month old sons, reported the Phoenix Fire Department.