Clarissa Cooper

The Republic | azcentral.com

Authorities have identified a Maricopa woman as the person killed in a fatal hit-and-run accident Monday night on Interstate 10, and police are still looking for the suspect vehicle.

An Arizona Department of Public Safety spokesman said Celia Owens had been riding in a small pickup that was merging onto I-10 east from Ray Road when the incident occurred.

Owens and the driver were both ejected from the passenger-side door when the driver swerved to avoid slow traffic near a disabled vehicle at about 8:20 p.m.

Witnesses reported that the pickup was speeding at the time of the accident, DPS Officer Carrick Cook said.

The sudden, violent motion ejected Owens onto the freeway, where she was struck and killed by an unidentified vehicle that continued driving, Cook said.

Authorities say they're searching for a pickup with obvious signs of damage, according to witnesses who saw it drive away from the scene after the collision.

The ejected driver was taken to Chandler Regional Medical Center in critical condition. Police reported that Owens was not wearing a seat belt at the time of the collision.

Authorities are treating the case as a homicide.