
One person died and two others were seriously injured in a head-on crash early Thursday on State Route 347 near Maricopa.
The wreck occurred just before 1 a.m. All lanes, northbound and southbound, were closed from Casa Blanca to Riggs Road for about seven hours.
Investigators determined that a southbound passenger car crossed over the unprotected, non-barriered median and crashed into a northbound tow truck near milepost 182.8 just south of Riggs Road.
At the time of the crash, it appears that neither of the occupants of the white 2005 Chevrolet were wearing seat belts.
The passenger, whom troopers identified as 34-year-old Justin Lamon Clark of Phoenix, was ejected and died at the scene. The driver, a 26-year-old woman, was taken to a hospital with serious injuries.
The tow-truck driver, a 41-year-old Maricopa man, also was seriously injured and was taken to a hospital.
As of Thursday night, authorities had yet to determine why the Chevrolet crossed the median. Troopers are looking into impairment as a possible factor.
The DPS issued a statement: “A major factor in the death and serious injury of the occupants of the white Chevrolet is the fact that they were not wearing their seat belts.”
While this may be true, it is also true that Arizona has a VERY SERIOUS problem of failing to use median barriers on the State highway systems.
Read more about median barriers and cross-over collisions in Arizona: http://www.i10accidents.com/p/cross-over-collisions.html
According to the State’s own experts, median barriers are 95% effective in eliminating crossover accidents.
Indeed, the State did its own study, and in 104 events, the median barrier in place stopped a crossover event in 103 of them. (The only time it did not was due to a car flying over the barrier.)
Despite these overwhelming statistics of barriers preventing these crashes and saving lives, the State appears to have no interest in getting them in place. Urban freeway beautification and HOV transition ramps seem a higher priority for our State transportation department.
We sincerely hope that the State of Arizona will eventually do the right thing for all Arizona highway travelers: INSTALL MEDIAN BARRIERS!!!!