9 people, including 7 in US illegally, die in Arizona crash

Authorities say nine people, including seven who were in the U.S. illegally, were killed in a head-on collision on an Arizona highway.

The Arizona Department of Public Safety says the crash occurred late Wednesday when a vehicle struck an SUV carrying nine people on State Route 79 near Florence, about 60 miles southeast of Phoenix.

Investigators don’t know the cause of the crash.

Officials say the SUV’s driver and front-seat passenger were U.S. citizens, but seven others in the vehicle were immigrants in the country illegally.

The driver, front-seat passenger and five others in the SUV were killed. Two others in the SUV were taken to hospitals.

The driver and front-seat passenger in the other vehicle also were killed.