Phoenix,AZ : Travelers take break after collisions snarl I-17 freeway traffic on may, Sunday 14th 2017

Two collisions on Interstate 17 sent nearly a dozen people to the hospital and brought the highway to a complete standstill for nearly five hours, prompting drivers to get out of their cars to take walks and children to motor around on scooters to pass the time.

Authorities say 11 people were taken to hospitals for non-life threatening injuries suffered during wrecks that caused the miles-long backup.


The first wreck occurred about 5:45 p.m. Sunday near Black Canyon City, when a motorcyclist lost control and was thrown off the bike. Traffic began to back up when drivers stopped for the motorcyclist.

Three minutes later, a big rig collided with the back of a tour bus, which then rear-ended a pickup truck and halted traffic returning to the Phoenix area on the main north-south route to Flagstaff.

The Arizona Department of Transportation said traffic was backed up seven miles at one point during the closure, which ended at 11 p.m. Traffic was detoured through Prescott and Wickenburg during the closure.

Brian Swanton was caught in the backup with his wife and three daughters. He said the drive from Camp Verde to his home in Phoenix should have taken about an hour, but ended up taking six. He said he felt lucky that the weather was nice and his family was not in a rush to get home, unlike a couple he befriended on the interstate that missed their flight home to New York.

Cars initially inched toward the shoulder to make room for emergency vehicles, but people began to get out of their cars after one emergency vehicle split the two lanes of traffic down the middle. Children chased each other on scooters, and others tossed bean bags, walked their dogs and handed out candy and water.

"People parked their cars on the shoulder and created a party atmosphere in between," Swanton said.


Source :
Travelers take break after collisions snarl I-17 freeway traffic