Police said the car carrying 19-year-old Leila Potts ran a red light before the deadly collision.
PHOENIX, AZ — A pregnant 19-year-old woman and her newborn son died after a two-car crash late Saturday near Loop 101 and 19th Avenue in north Phoenix, police said.
Family and friends identified the woman as Leila Potts. Police said Potts was a passenger in a vehicle that entered an intersection against a red light around 11:30 p.m. June 20 and struck another vehicle traveling east on Beardsley Road. Doctors delivered her baby at a hospital, but both mother and child died a short time later.
David Potts, Leila’s father and a Navy veteran, said the deaths came during Father’s Day weekend and left the family grieving two lives at once. “Two lives cut short for something ridiculous and careless,” he said in a statement. He described his daughter as “a bright, funny, beautiful person” who loved drawing, cats, her friends, her siblings and her family.
Phoenix police said the adult male driver of the vehicle carrying Potts was taken to a hospital with injuries that were not life-threatening. David Potts said the baby’s father was driving at the time of the crash. Police said the driver of the second vehicle stayed at the scene, cooperated with investigators and was not injured.
Investigators said early information showed the vehicle carrying Potts failed to stop for the red light before the collision. Police said they found no signs that impairment played a role. Authorities had not announced charges as of Monday, and police said the question of whether the driver will face charges remains part of the investigation.
The crash happened near a busy north Phoenix area where 19th Avenue meets Beardsley Road close to Loop 101. Emergency crews found Potts critically injured at the scene. The Phoenix Fire Department took her to a nearby hospital, where medical staff delivered her son, Vincent, before both were pronounced dead.
David Potts said his daughter’s sense of style “was unmatched” and said she was “full of life.” He said the family wants accountability as detectives review the crash. “We really hope and pray that justice is served,” he said. “That’s the least that can happen.”
Police said the investigation remained active Monday. Detectives were continuing to review the collision, including the red-light violation, witness information and whether any criminal charges will be submitted in the deaths of Leila Potts and her son, Vincent.
Author note: Last updated June 22, 2026.