ARIZONA, USA — Eastbound lanes of Interstate 10 reopened hours after five people were killed in a fiery semi-truck crash Thursday morning near Chandler Boulevard, according to the Arizona Department of Public Safety.
The at-fault driver of the semi-truck only sustained minor injuries and is now being investigated for distracted driving, DPS officials said.
Troopers said a semi-truck crashed into two passenger vehicles going at full speed. The impact caused the two passenger vehicles to be pushed into the back end of another semi-truck in front of them, sandwiching and destroying both cars.
All five fatalities were people who were in the two passenger vehicles.
“That driver may not have been paying attention," said Capt. Keith Gephart with DPS. "Again, we're still investigating, but it did not appear to have slowed down very much, if at all."
It took firefighters about four hours to put out the flames – that effort just part of the work crews did to clean up the wreckage and get the lanes reopened by 5 p.m.
This crash, Gephart said, could have been prevented.
“People have warning, and this is a straight road, you can see far down the road as long as there's not a lot of traffic and at that time, there wasn't a huge amount of traffic," Gephart said. "So pay attention. Don't be distracted, pay attention, because other people's lives depend upon it."
The death toll was initially reported as three victims, including a child. DPS has since increased that number to five deceased people, but it's unclear if a child was involved.
The crash happened just hours after three other wrecks caused major traffic delays in the south Valley.
DPS said a crash at Riggs Road and I-10 originally caused traffic to back up at around 5 a.m. During the backup, another wreck happened at Queen Creek Road and I-10.
Soon after, a vehicle rolled over on Warner Road and I-10, blocking the Elliot on-ramp.
Officials reported minor injuries in the Queen Creek Road crash, and said that at least two drivers were cited for failing to control their vehicles.
12News reporter Michael Doudna looked into how this happened and the data behind these deadly crashes.
VERSIÓN EN ESPAÑOL: Numerosos accidentes en la Interestatal 10 causan muertes y embotellamientos el jueves por la mañana
Deaths on Arizona roads
Data from the Arizona Department of Transportation shows that roadway fatalities have been gradually rising in Arizona over the last decade:
- 2011: 825 deaths
- 2012: 821 deaths
- 2013: 844 deaths
- 2014: 774 deaths
- 2015: 895 deaths
- 2016: 952 deaths
- 2017: 1,000 deaths
- 2018: 1,010 deaths
- 2019: 982 deaths
- 2020: 1,057 deaths
ADOT offers driving tips on its website to help keep people safe on the road.
"There’s always room for improvement when it comes to road safety," the department said on its website.
ADOT's suggestions include:
- Don’t speed or drive aggressively
- Never drive while under the influence of substances
- Avoid distractions while driving
- Wear your seatbelt and make sure all passengers are doing the same
- When an emergency vehicle is on the side of the road, move over
- Stay extra aware in work zones
- Be prepared for weather conditions that make driving dangerous
"Real-time highway conditions are available on ADOT’s Arizona Traveler Information site at az511.gov, by calling 511, downloading the AZ 511 app and through ADOT’s Twitter feed, @ArizonaDOT," the department said.