Updated Aug 23, 2012 - 1:32 pm
2 rescued from flooded wash; big rig crashes on EB I-10
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PHOENIX -- A driver in a van who tried to navigate a flooded Scottsdale wash area was rescued by firefighters Thursday morning. A wheelchair-bound passenger was also carried to safety.
The early-morning rescue at Roosevelt and 77th streets comes after heavy overnight storms in the Valley left roadways slick and flooded in spots, making for a tough Thursday morning commute.
Three lanes of eastbound Interstate 10 in west Phoenix are blocked because of mud flowing onto the highway and localized street flooding is widespread.
In another traffic-related mess, an overturned big rig has spilled diesel fuel and backed up the commute on eastbound Interstate 10 at Baseline Road all the way to Broadway Road.
The Baseline exit and two lanes were closed but U.S. 60 remained accessible.
The driver of the van in Scottsdale ignored barricades and drove into three feet of water, then got stuck. The fire department used a ladder truck with a bucket to reach the vehicle.
The driver could be cited under the 'stupid driver' law of Arizona.
The National Weather Service said from 3/4 to 1 1/4 inches of rain fell in the region early Thursday.
All of the unbridged crossings of the Indian Bend wash in Scottsdale will be closed until the water level goes down.
The storm caused nearly 1,500 APS customers to lose service around 2 a.m. As of 7 a.m. APS had sent out a tweet that crews had been working through the early morning and were able to restore service to all but about 200 customers scattered throughout central Phoenix.
The weather service said the strong low pressure system that brought the rainfall to the state should move out later in the day. That should dry out the state.
KTAR's Jim Cross contributed to this report.
