5 minutes

Dennis Katsnelson

On May 3, a tragic crash involving a semi-truck occurred on westbound I-10 near the New Mexico border. The Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT) has released new information about the incident that resulted in an extended road closure.

We took this video from ABC15 Arizona YouTube Channel.

According to ADOT, a semi-truck collided with an overpass support on US 191 west of Willcox at mile marker 331. The collision caused significant damage to the trestle structure, and crews are currently working to temporarily repair it. Repair work began Wednesday afternoon and is expected to take 48 hours, meaning the westbound portion of I-10 will likely remain closed until noon Friday.

According to ADOT, a semi-truck collided with an overpass support on US 191 west of Willcox at mile marker 331. The collision caused significant damage to the trestle structure, and crews are currently working to temporarily repair it. Repair work began Wednesday afternoon and is expected to take 48 hours, meaning the westbound portion of I-10 will likely remain closed until noon Friday.

The cause of the accident is not yet known, but Arizona Department of Public Safety (AZDPS) officials provided some details about the accident. According to them, the tractor pulled out of the right side of the roadway and struck a guardrail before colliding with an overpass support post. The truck was completely engulfed in flames, and unfortunately, the driver died at the scene.

AZDPS officials are still working to identify the driver of the truck and the trucking company involved in the accident. The closure of the westbound section of I-10 has caused significant hardship for motorists traveling in the area, and ADOT is advising drivers to use alternate routes and plan for delays.

This is not the first time a collision with a semi-truck has resulted in a lengthy closure of Arizona's I-10 highway. There have been several incidents in recent years where semi-trucks collided with overpass structures, causing significant damage and traffic closures. In 2018, a truck collided with an overpass near Phoenix, leading to a fire that burned for hours and closed the road in both directions.

The incident near the New Mexico border serves as a reminder of the dangers semi-trucks can pose on the roads. These large vehicles require experienced and attentive drivers, and it is important that trucking companies prioritize safety and properly train their drivers. While the investigation into the cause of the accident continues, our thoughts are with the family of the truck driver who died in this tragic incident.