An early-morning wrong-way crash on U.S. 60 east of the Valley left one person dead Saturday and shut down all eastbound lanes near Queen Valley, turning the start of the weekend commute into a long wait. Troopers and emergency crews were called to the scene just before 7:30 a.m., and traffic was shut down around milepost 209 at El Camino Viejo while investigators went to work. Westbound lanes stayed open, and officials did not immediately say when the eastbound side would reopen, telling eastbound drivers to expect delays and consider alternate routes.
In a post from the Arizona DOT, the agency warned that "US 60 eastbound is CLOSED near Queen Valley" because of a crash at milepost 209 and pointed motorists to its traveler tools for up-to-the-minute conditions while crews remained on scene.
What officials say
According to Arizona's Family, state troopers were called just before 7:30 a.m., and the Arizona Department of Public Safety confirmed one person died at the scene. The outlet reports that crews stayed in place while investigators worked to clear wreckage from the freeway and notify the victim's next of kin.
This stretch has a history of deadly wrong-way crashes
Wrong-way collisions and other fatal crashes have repeatedly struck Valley freeways, including earlier wrong-way incidents on or near US 60 this year. In response, the Arizona Department of Transportation has been putting up larger wrong-way signs and testing thermal cameras that can spot wrong-way entries, part of a broader safety effort the agency outlined to ABC15.
How to check conditions
Drivers can track real-time closures, detours and freeway camera views on the state’s traveler information website and in the AZ 511 mobile app, available through AZ 511. Anyone who depends on the Superstition Freeway or routes heading east of the Valley should plan for backups while crews work and consider putting off nonessential trips until the lanes have fully reopened.
Troopers are still investigating what led to the collision. Officials have not yet released the identity of the person who died or additional details about the circumstances of the crash. This story will be updated as state and local authorities release more information.
