A fatal pedestrian accident on Loop 202, a crucial conduit in Mesa's road infrastructure, brought Westbound traffic to a standstill during the Monday morning rush. According to AZFamily, an individual was struck by at least one vehicle on the Loop 202 Red Mountain Freeway, just east of Dobson Road, at approximately 6:15 a.m. Reports indicate the individual, for reasons still under investigation, may have been either outside or partially outside of their vehicle before the collision.
UPDATE: The highway remains closed. There is no estimated reopening time.
— Arizona DOT (@ArizonaDOT) December 16, 2024
The incident led to multiple subsequent vehicles striking the pedestrian, resulting in their demise. Department of Public Safety (DPS) spokesperson Raul Garcia, in a statement obtained by AZFamily, emphasized the dangers of leaving a vehicle on such a busy highway. “Please don’t draw any comfort with standing around or looking around at what’s going on," Garcia warned, advocating for extreme caution in these situations.
The closure, stretching from Country Club Drive to proximate on-ramps, caused significant delays for commuters, with cars queued from Country Club Drive back to Gilbert Road. AZFamily showed freeway cameras that captured at least two vehicles parked on the freeway shoulder amidst the chaos.
After approximately six hours of closure for investigation and clean-up, the westbound lanes were reopened around 12:30 p.m., as detailed by FOX10 Phoenix.
