By admin 
GLENDALE, AZ (AZFamily) — New video shows a driver leading police on a high-speed chase through Glendale before crashing into another vehicle, killing one person earlier this year.
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On March 22, a white Nissan Altima was spotted speeding and driving erratically along Glendale Avenue in downtown Glendale. Investigators say the driver, Ali Alebadi, 20, was speeding up to 90 miles per hour along the road.
Video shared by the Glendale Police Department shows Alebadi’s Altima speeding right past a Glendale police officer. The officer immediately turned on lights and sirens, chasing after Alebadi.
During the pursuit, the officer ran a red light and crashed into a pickup truck near 56th and Glendale avenues.
Alebadi continued speeding before slamming into a Nissan Sentra at the intersection of 51st and Glendale avenues. Video shows both cars and debris flying across the intersection. The passenger inside the Sentra was killed, and the driver was rushed to the hospital with serious injuries.
WATCH BELOW:
On March 22nd, a driver going 3x the speed limit on Glendale Ave ran red lights, refused to stop for officers, and crashed. A passenger was killed. The suspect now faces first degree murder charges on a $3 million bond.#GlendaleAZPD #RecklessDrivingKills #DriveResponsibly pic.twitter.com/Cp5u39ciZ9
— Glendale Police (@GlendaleAZPD) September 14, 2026
Both the officer and pickup truck driver were also hospitalized.
Investigators say the murder charge reflects just how extreme the crash was. Glendale Police Sgt. Kris Steffa explained how rare it is to see a case like this reach that level.
“It’s very uncommon to charge a first-degree murder for a traffic collision. If fact, in the City of Glendale this is the first one. In Maricopa County, to our knowledge, this is the second one,” Sgt. Steffa explained.
“For it to be a first-degree murder charge, you have to have a felony murder rule come into play. Which, because of the unlawful flight from police, the suspect was committing a felony, and during the progress of the felony, a person passed away. So, that is what created the first-degree murder charge,” he added.
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Sgt. Steffa hopes the rare charges serve as a warning to other drivers across the Valley.
“We need to send the message that this kind of driving is unacceptable. It puts lives at risk, and unfortunately, these collisions occur too often, but this is by far the most extreme that I’ve seen in a 25-year career,” he explained.
Court documents state Alebadi’s blood alcohol concentration was 0.141, over the legal limit of 0.08.
Alebadi fled the country to avoid arrest, but was found and arrested in Glendale on Aug. 19, police said. It is unclear where Alebadi fled, but authorities say he has connections to Mexico and Iraq.
He was indicted on charges of first-degree murder, one count of second-degree murder, two counts of aggravated assault and one count of unlawful flight from law enforcement.
Alebadi being held on a $3 million cash bond, and his trial is set for April 2027.
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