BAPCHULE, Ariz. — A crash in Sacaton closed the roadway for several hours and involved an ambulance, authorities said.
Arizona Department of Public Safety received calls of a rollover crash involving in ambulance around 6:30 a.m. on Sunday in Bapchule on I-10 at Casa Blanca Road. Authorities said it looked like the driver possibly fell asleep at the wheel and the ambulance appeared to lose control before rolling over.
The two people inside the ambulance, the driver and a passenger, were both American Medical Response employees. No patients were being transported when the crash occurred.
Two individuals driving along the road stopped to assist the people in the ambulance. When the two people, a man and a woman, attempted to help the ambulance, an unrelated vehicle crashed into the ambulance and struck both individuals trying to help.
The man trying to help was pronounced dead at the scene, authorities said.
The crash with the unrelated vehicle pushed the ambulance off the highway and injured the ambulance driver, ambulance employee and the driver of the vehicle that crashed into the ambulance.
The drivers of both the ambulance and the unrelated vehicle sustained minor injuries. The woman working in the ambulance was taken to the hospital in critical condition and the woman who stopped to help was taken to the hospital with unknown injuries, authorities said.
Authorities said the driver of the unrelated vehicle may have been impaired.
The identities of those involved were not released by authorities. The roadway is still closed for investigation.
A spokesperson from AMR, the ambulance company, released the following statement:
"AMR can confirm that one of our ambulances was involved in an accident on east bound I-10 in Pinal County. There were two AMR personnel involved. No patients or passengers were on board. Both AMR personnel were transported to local medical facilities. We are in the process of determining the details of the accident and are cooperating with Arizona DPS who is leading the investigation. Our thoughts are with all impacted in this accident."
<< This story will be updated as additional information becomes available. Stay with 12News for the latest.
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Original story:
The eastbound lanes of Interstate 10 in Bapchule near Casa Blanca Road are closed, the Arizona Department of Public Safety said.
Bapchule is south of Phoenix, in between Chandler and Maricopa.
The eastbound lanes are closed while DPS investigates a fatal crash. There is no estimated time of reopening, DPS said.
Authorities did not release any additional information.
<< This story will be updated as additional information becomes available. Stay with 12News for the latest.
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