Four dead, I-10 closed after massive wreck north of Tucson

PHOENIX – Four people were killed in a six-vehicle accident Friday afternoon that left Interstate 10 between Phoenix and Tucson closed in both directions for hours, authorities said.

Eastbound I-10 was closed at Picacho Peak Road near Eloy, and westbound traffic was shut down closer to Tucson at Marana Road.

The Arizona Department of Public Safety said the accident occurred around 12:15 p.m. at milepost 232 near Pinal Airpark Road after a reckless driver heading eastbound crossed the median and struck an SUV head on.

A semi-truck ran into the wreck and caused a chain reaction involving three other vehicles, one of which was a Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office transport van.

Two deputies and a prisoner in the van were taken to a Tucson hospital, but their injuries were not considered serious, DPS said.

Before the accident, DPS had received reports of a reckless driver on I-10 and was attempting to locate the vehicle.

UPDATE: Eastbound lanes have just reopened at Picacho Peak Road, milepost 219. Traffic is backed up for miles and will take a long time to clear. No estimated time to reopen westbound lanes. #aztraffic https://t.co/fQIdcAyv1g

— Arizona DOT (@ArizonaDOT) December 21, 2018

At around 3 p.m., the Arizona Department of Transportation said the eastbound I-10 heading toward Tucson was reopened, while westbound traffic was restricted to the frontage road.

Motorists were encouraged to find alternate routes to avoid long backups, including State Routes 77 and 79, or delay travel.

ADOT provides real-time highway conditions online, on Twitter or over the phone at 511.

Drivers can also gets alerts and alternate route notifications via ADOT’s mobile app.

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