MARICOPA COUNTY, Ariz. — A three-car crash near the Loop 303 overpass on Bethany Home Road resulted in firefighters having to extricate people trapped in a vehicle, officials said.
The early Saturday morning collision near the 108 exit resulted in one of the vehicles turning over on its side and another car sustaining significant front-end damage, according to Rural Metro Fire.
Two men had to be extricated from the cars and transported to a local trauma center for possible life-threatening injuries, according to the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office.
It's not yet known if speeding or impairment may have been involved in the crash, MCSO said.
Drivers are encouraged to avoid this area for the time being.
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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.
