PHOENIX — Investigators have arrested a driver for allegedly causing a crash last Thursday night on Interstate 10 while he was racing other cars.
Julian Beltran-Cardenas, 31, of Phoenix is facing multiple criminal charges for his alleged involvement in a three-vehicle collision on the freeway near 43rd Avenue, according to the Arizona Department of Public Safety.
Beltran-Cardenas is accused of racing other cars and swerving recklessly to avoid slower traffic, DPS said. The driver eventually lost control of his vehicle and struck a highway barrier, causing a large tractor-trailer to hit a pickup truck.
The crash caused a three-hour closure on the freeway.
Beltran-Cardenas is facing charges of racing on highways, reckless endangerment, and aggravated assault.
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What is the Valley?
“The Valley” is what locals call the Phoenix Metropolitan Area. It is considered the largest metropolitan area in the Southwest.
The Valley is made up of various major cities other than Phoenix, including:
- Mesa
- Chandler
- Scottsdale
- Tempe
- Glendale
- Surprise
- Peoria
- Gilbert
- El Mirage
- Avondale
- Litchfield Park
- Goodyear
- Buckeye
Whether a city is in the “East Valley” or “West Valley” depends on where it is in relation to Phoenix.
The cities of the Valley have a combined population of 4,845,832 people, according to the 2020 United States Census. This makes it the 11th largest metropolitan area in the country right behind the Boston and Atlanta areas.
How big is Maricopa County?
Maricopa County is the United States’ 4th largest county in terms of population with 4,485,414 people, according to the 2020 Census.
The county contains around 63% of Arizona’s population and is 9,224 square miles. That makes the county larger than seven U.S. states (Rhode Island, Delaware, Connecticut, Hawaii, New Jersey, Massachusetts and New Hampshire).
One of the largest park systems in the nation is also located in Maricopa County. The county has an estimated 120,000 acres of open space parks that includes hundreds of miles of trails, nature centers and campgrounds.
The county’s seat is located in Phoenix, which is also the state capital and the census-designated 5th most populous city in the United States.
