Child killed in multivehicle crash on I-10 in Phoenix

A 4-year-old child died and a 2-year-old was seriously injured in a three-vehicle crash that cause an hourslong closure on eastbound Interstate 10 near 43rd Avenue in Phoenix on Tuesday, according to the Arizona Department of Public Safety.

Dispatchers received numerous calls about the crash around 11:20 a.m.

A preliminary investigation found that a Dodge Challenger rear-ended a Toyota Corolla that had slowed for traffic, pushing it into the back of a Chrysler Pacifica, DPS said.

Impairment not ruled out as factor in crash that caused I-10 closure

“The two-year-old was in a car seat. The four-year-old was in a booster seat,” DPS spokesman Bart Graves told KTAR News 92.3 FM on Wednesday.

The 4-year-old was taken to a hospital with life-threatening injuries and later pronounced dead. The 2-year-old was taken to another hospital with serious but non-life-threatening injuries.

Their mother, who was driving the Corolla, was not injured, according to DPS. A passenger in the Pacifica and the Challenger’s driver were left with minor injuries.

DPS released the driver of the Challenger and said the results of its investigation will be forwarded to the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office, who will determine if charges will be filed.

How did the closure affect traffic?

The eastbound side of the freeway reopened just before 3 p.m. after closing around noon.

While I-10 was shut, traffic was backed up to 83rd Avenue.

The westbound lanes were not affected by the crash.

Editor’s note: This story has been corrected to clarify how the two children were restrained. An earlier version said they were wearing seat belts, based on an initial Arizona Department of Public Safety statement that they were “seat belted into the back seat.” In response to a follow-up inquiry from KTAR News 92.3 FM on Wednesday, DPS clarified that the children were properly seated. The story has been updated to reflect that clarification.

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