A woman died and five other people were treated for injuries early Wednesday after a driver suspected of impairment slammed into two cars that had pulled onto the shoulder of eastbound US 60 near Higley Road in Mesa to change a flat tire. The crash happened around 1 a.m. as the occupants of those two vehicles were finishing up and preparing to pull back into traffic, according to the Arizona Department of Public Safety.
The collision shut down eastbound US 60 at Higley Road during the early morning drive, according to KTAR News 92.3 FM. Westbound lanes remained open throughout. The Arizona Department of Public Safety told FOX 10 Phoenix that the driver of the third vehicle, suspected of being impaired, suffered non-life-threatening injuries in the crash. The woman who died was pronounced dead at the scene, per a Phoenix TV station report, while five others were treated for injuries.
Commuters Told to Detour Around the Closure
KTAR reported that the eastbound lanes at Higley Road remained shut down until approximately 6:45 a.m. KTAR's traffic desk, which also offers alerts by text message to those who text traffic to 620620, reported the closure as cleanup and investigation continued into the morning.
Arizona's Move Over Law and the Legal Stakes
The crash unfolded in a scenario squarely addressed by Arizona's Move Over Law. Under Arizona Revised Statutes § 28-775, drivers approaching any stationary vehicle displaying flashing or warning lights are required to change lanes or reduce speed, and violators face fines ranging from $275 for a first offense up to $1,000 for repeated violations within five years, according to the Arizona Legislature. The statute was expanded in 2011 to cover any vehicle showing hazard or warning lights, not just emergency responders.
Whether the driver suspected of impairment will face additional charges tied to the fatality has not been disclosed. The identities and current conditions of the five people treated for injuries remain unknown. KTAR reported that the closure was lifted at approximately 6:45 a.m.
Part of a Bigger Push Against Highway Deaths
The fatal crash comes as Arizona ramps up efforts to curb roadway deaths statewide. In June, the Arizona Department of Public Safety launched Arrive Alive Arizona, a five-year initiative targeting impaired, speeding and distracted driving through high-visibility enforcement, according to the Arizona Department of Public Safety. Arizona ranked second nationally for fatal highway collisions in 2024, state officials noted at the campaign's launch.
That enforcement push follows a March directive from Governor Katie Hobbs, who authorized $1 million in Department of Public Safety operational savings to fund up to 14,000 hours of trooper overtime aimed at expanding highway patrol coverage across state freeways, according to the Arizona Governor's Office. Statewide, traffic fatalities totaled 1,228 in 2024 with alcohol impairment cited as a factor in nearly 28% of all fatal collisions, per the Arizona Department of Transportation's 2024 Crash Facts report. Maricopa County alone recorded 88,094 vehicle collisions and 594 traffic fatalities that year, according to AZ Law Now.
A Familiar Stretch of Highway
This is not the first deadly incident near this same Mesa interchange. In April, a woman died on eastbound US 60 near Higley Road after rear-ending a commercial vehicle, exiting her SUV into traffic, and being struck by an oncoming truck — a crash Hoodline covered at the time. The Superstition Freeway corridor has also seen multi-vehicle wrecks, including a five-vehicle chain-reaction crash in January 2025 that injured eight people, including an infant, and a multi-vehicle collision near Ellsworth Road in March that forced a westbound closure at Crismon Road.
