A tragic collision in Mesa claimed the life of a man early Saturday when a multi-vehicle crash involving a Valley Metro bus unfolded. Identified as 45-year-old Joseph Christenson, the man was reported dead at the crash scene near Gilbert Road and Southern Avenue at about 5:40 a.m., according to azfamily.com.
Police informed FOX 10 Phoenix that Christenson, traveling east, veered over the center line into westbound lanes, striking the bus head-on, then spinning out and hitting a truck. Wrapped in the wreckage of his car, emergency responders managed to extract him, but it was too late—Christenson was pronounced deceased, trapped inside the vehicle after having been extricated by fire personnel.
Remarkably, there were no reported injuries amongst the passengers of the bus or the truck driver. The scene, which remained closed for several hours, reopened later the same afternoon, as investigators pieced together the moments leading to the crash. They are currently considering whether a medical issue or impairment may have contributed to the tragedy.
