Valley drivers involved in 3 wrong-way crashes on freeways in just over a day
Jun 13, 2022, 3:15 PM
(ADOT Photo)
(ADOT Photo)
PHOENIX — Drivers were involved in three wrong-way crashes on Valley freeways between Saturday night and Monday morning, including one where a DPS trooper had to stop a vehicle, authorities said.
The first happened at about 11:55 p.m. on Saturday when a Honda Civic and Jeep Liberty collided head-on in the southbound lanes of State Route 51 near Glendale Avenue in Phoenix, Arizona Department of Public Safety spokesman Bart Graves told KTAR News 92.3 FM on Monday.
The driver of the Civic died from the crash, while the Liberty driver was taken to a hospital with serious injuries.
The next night, a vehicle traveling eastbound in the westbound lanes of Interstate 10 hit a car near Seventh Street in downtown Phoenix at about 11:15 p.m.
Both drivers, who had no passengers, were taken to a hospital in serious condition.
Early Monday morning, a DPS trooper stopped a driver who was traveling the wrong way on the Loop 202 Santan Freeway in Mesa.
The driver initially was spotted on the Loop 101 Price Freeway before the trooper used his patrol vehicle to stop the car, which was traveling at about 60 mph, near Arizona Avenue, according to Graves.
The eastbound Loop 202 was closed at Arizona Avenue until around 6:30 a.m. while the scene was under investigation.
The driver suffered life-threatening injuries, Graves said. The trooper had minor injuries.
Impairment was suspected, Graves added.
KTAR News 92.3 FM’s Colton Krolak contributed to this report.
