Flagstaff, AZ : Man killed when car smashes into concrete wall in front of Flagstaff school on Tuesday, July 12, 2016

Police are investigating a deadly single-vehicle crash in which a car plowed into a concrete wall in front of a Flagstaff school.

It happened at about 7:40 p.m. Tuesday outside Mount Elden Middle School, which is located at Fourth Street and Cedar Avenue/Lockett Road.

The Flagstaff Fire Department said the vehicle in question "sheared off a traffic light" before it slammed into the wall.

Paramedics and EMTs responding to the scene confirmed that the driver, the sole occupant of the car, was dead.

Photos from the scene show the mangled car. The front portion was so badly smashed that one of the front wheels was turned almost 90 degrees.

Although the car's air bags deployed, the driver, who has not been identified, was not wearing a seat belt, according to paramedic Paul Sanders.

Firefighters had to use special equipment to

"Incidents like these serve as a powerful reminder for first responders and civilians alike," Sanders said in a news alert in which he described driving as "the single most dangerous thing most people do on a day to day (sic) basis."

Police officers and firefighters have consistently said that wearing a seat belt is the most important thing a person can do to protect himself or herself in case of a crash.

When the Arizona Department of Transportation released its annual Motor Vehicle Crash Facts report last month, it cited speed and lack of proper restraints as major factors in a number of fatal crashes.

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Man killed when car smashes into concrete wall in front of Flagstaff school