Contributed Photo/Courtesy DPS
Freeway traffic routed through the Bowie exit off Highway 191
By Jon Johnson
WILLCOX – A passenger of a box truck was killed early Tuesday morning when his truck was struck by another semi hauling liquid ammonia when that driver experienced a medical emergency. The collision occurred while the trucks were eastbound on Interstate 10 at milepost 354 just east of the turnoff for Highway 191 North.
The driver of the box truck was severely injured and has “life-threatening injuries”, according to Arizona Department of Public Safety Media Relations Specialist Bart Graves. The driver of the at-fault vehicle has “non-life-threatening injuries”, Graves said.
The crash occurred at about 7:23 a.m. and resulted in the closure of the eastbound lanes for cleanup and the fatal investigation. Eastbound freeway traffic from I-10 was routed north onto Highway 191 for a short jaunt over to N. Page Ranch Road and then back onto I-10. Graves gave an updated time-table for the reopening of the eastbound lanes of I-10 and said they weren’t expected to be opened until Tuesday evening, possibly by 9 p.m., due to the removal of hazardous materials.
This post was updated to correct the drivers of the trucks at 4:51 p.m. on Tuesday from the AZDPS.
