Family grieving after mother of two killed in tragic accident in Phoenix

PHOENIX (3TV/CBS 5) -- A mother of two was killed on Wednesday morning when she was struck by a car while standing on the sidewalk on 51st Avenue and Encanto Boulevard.

Alberta Lavetta Cons, 30, called her fiance around 5:30 a.m., saying she was in a fender bender. She told him there was no damage, but the other driver didn’t speak English, so she needed help translating. After hanging up for a brief moment, she called her fiance back, which is when the crash happened.

“All I heard was a sound like she was in shock,” said Jorge Lucero, her fiance. He said he heard her gasp. “And then I heard the tires squeaking, and then the accident. And the phone was still on; I was like babe, babe, hello, for like 2 minutes.”

Phoenix Police say a pickup truck heading south on 51st Avenue swerved to the left and collided with another truck heading north. The pickup then swerved again to the right, striking Cons, who was on the sidewalk. “She was doing a good deed, you’re doing a good deed going to work for your kids, trying to make sure everything is taken care of,” said her stepdad, Donnell King.

Her family said Cons was a counselor, helping people overcome drug addiction. “She took a liking to helping people and helping people to change lives. She was not a caregiver, but she worked with people with substance abuse problems. So she was always willing to give back,” said her uncle, Billy Hatton. “We hear about somebody doing good and on their way to work — they call; you don’t expect that call.”

Lucero said he always felt Cons was the love of his life. “Back then, I used to chase her and try to be with her; she was just, something about her; it’s infectious,” Lucero said. “They say a good woman makes a good man, and that’s what she did for me.”

Phoenix Police described Cons’ vehicle as being disabled. However, Lucero said police told him they hadn’t gotten a call about a crash before Cons was hit. The family is hoping the driver of the vehicle involved in the fender bender comes forward so they can fully understand what happened.

“We just wanted answers. We know there’s accidents but the family we’re still, we just still can’t believe it. We’re still in shock. Because people going to work and standing at a safe distance, we just want to know what happened,” said Hatton. “Mainly we just want answers because it is shocking. Accidents do happen but we need a little more information on our behalf.”

Hatton said the lesson in all this is that life is short. “Tell your loved ones, even if they’re going to the store because anything — accidents do happen — but the lesson is always make sure you tell your loved ones you care about them and let them know how you feel about them,” Hatton said.

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