Arizona troopers stop 2 wrong-way drivers on Phoenix freeway

PHOENIX — Arizona state troopers stopped two wrong-way drivers on the same Phoenix-area freeway in a 20-minute span early Wednesday.

There were no serious injuries but a trooper’s vehicle was damaged when one of the wrong-way cars on State Route 51 hit it while trying to get around the trooper.

“He stopped for a brief stint, then started to go again and the collided with one of our patrol vehicles,” Department of Public Safety Sgt. Robert Phillips said.

That driver had been heading south on the Piestewa Freeway in north lanes after he had already been driving against traffic on Loop 101 near Scottsdale at 64th Street.

The other driver was stopped at Northern Avenue after he went south on the freeway, realized his mistake and made a U-turn to get off the road.

KTAR’s Jim Cross contributed to this report.

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