GOODYEAR, Ariz. — No matter where you drive in the Valley, you'll likely encounter a construction zone.
That was the case for Adrian Corrales. He was driving near Cotton Lane and Lower Buckeye Road when he realized he was about to drive right into a work zone with an unpaved road.
His dashcam video shows him swerving into oncoming and hit a construction delineator before getting back into his lane. Corrales said he ended up with a dented rim and damages to the front of his car.
In the video it appears there was no sign warning him to merge into a different lane but taking a closer look at the dashcam footage it appears there was a sign that was knocked over. Possibly from another driver.
A few days after the incident was recorded, the sign was back up on the road.
With dozens of construction projects all over the Valley, the Arizona Department of Transportation tracks crashes in work zones all over the state. Spokesperson Kelsey Mo said for 2023, they saw 1,147 work zone crashes which is higher than in 2022.
ADOT also reports there were 17 fatal car crashes with 28 people seriously injured in 2023. Those are the highest reported numbers going back to 2019.
"It boils down to driving alert, paying attention to the signage and slowing down," Mo said.
Speed continues to be a major contributing factor in these incidents Mo said. Encouraging drivers to maintain a two-car distance from the vehicle in front of them that way they will be able to react in time in case something happens. Mo also said drivers need to pay attention to their environment when it comes to workers on the road and signage warning drivers where to go.
"There might be people who are working around or on the road, and so it's really important for drivers, as they're going through these work zones to pay attention and be aware of their surroundings," Mo said.
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