WILLCOX, Ariz — Editor's note: The above video aired during a previous broadcast.
Interstate 10 westbound lanes reopened Friday morning after an overpass near Willcox was massively damaged by a semi-truck crash, the Arizona Department of Public Safety (DPS) said.
The roadway was previously closed to westbound drivers at the New Mexico-Arizona border, forcing drivers traveling to Tucson to take a huge detour south to the Mexico border before traveling back north. The westbound lanes have since reopened
VERSIÓN EN ESPAÑOL: Conductores que se dirigían a Arizona por la I-10 en dirección oeste se vieron obligados a desviarse a la frontera con México debido a un accidente
The roadway closed after a truck ran off the right side of the roadway, struck a guardrail and hit a pillar of the overpass near State Route 191, troopers said. The truck became fully engulfed in flames and the driver was pronounced dead at the scene.
Authorities have not yet identified the driver or the trucking company that owns the vehicle.
ADOT said a welder who was on site for nearly the entirety of the project told engineers that he is 80 years old but still at it for his son’s company, which was a subcontractor.
“I’ve retired six times but love what I do,” he said.
There were no hazardous materials associated with the incident, DPS said.
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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.