A tow truck driver died early Thursday after his flatbed slammed into a barrier and burst into flames on the southbound Loop 101 near Ray Road in Chandler. First responders rushed the driver to a hospital, where he later died.
The Arizona Department of Public Safety says the crash happened around 3 a.m., when the tow truck hit a crash cushion, also known as an attenuator, then struck a concrete barrier and caught fire, according to FOX 10 Phoenix. Southbound lanes were shut down for several hours, and two lanes remained blocked at Ray Road before the freeway fully reopened, the outlet reports.
What investigators say
Video from the scene shows the flatbed tow truck burned out, its cab charred and unrecognizable. A witness told Arizona's Family he ripped off his shirt and tried to smother the flames on the driver before firefighters got there. DPS told the outlet the driver was taken to a hospital, where he later died. Authorities have not publicly released his name.
Crash cushions and safety context
Crash cushions, or impact attenuators, are designed to soak up kinetic energy and soften crashes with fixed objects, but high-speed hits can still prove deadly, according to the Federal Highway Administration. The ADOT has been working on Loop 101 upgrades in recent years, adding lanes and improving pavement as part of broader efforts to boost safety and ease congestion.
The Arizona Department of Public Safety is investigating the crash and has released only limited information while the probe continues, authorities told FOX 10 Phoenix. This is a developing story and will be updated as officials share more details.
