The Arizona Department of Public Safety says a wrong-way driver is dead after he hit three other vehicles on the Interstate 17 north of Phoenix, critically injuring four members of the same family and several others.
DPS Lt. Jim Warriner says the accident happened around 9:30 p.m. Monday near the Carefree Highway exit of Interstate 17.
He says the driver was traveling southbound at a high rate of speed in the northbound lanes when the collision occurred.
He says the man hit three vehicles, including a sport-utility vehicle carrying a family.
The male driver of the SUV has life-threatening injuries, while three others — including at least two young girls — are critically injured. All were being flown in helicopters to nearby hospitals.
Warriner said three to four other people in the two other cars were hurt, as well, but their injuries were not considered life-threatening.
He said there’s no indication so far why the man was driving the wrong way on the freeway. “We may not even know until the autopsy,” he said.
The northbound lanes of Interstate 17 were closed following the collisions.
Copyright 2009 The Associated Press.
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