A child was killed Tuesday in a three-car crash on the eastbound lanes of Interstate 10 near 43rd Avenue in west Phoenix, prompting state troopers to shut down the freeway while they worked the scene. All eastbound traffic was closed at 43rd Avenue, and officials urged drivers to find another way around the area.
Freeway Shut Down as Troopers Investigate
The crash occurred Tuesday, and a child died in the three-vehicle collision. According to 12 News, the child was 4 years old and died at the hospital. Arizona Department of Public Safety troopers investigated the scene while the Arizona Department of Transportation monitored and managed the freeway restrictions. DPS is investigating possible impairment.
A fatal two-vehicle crash near Buckeye led to I-10 closures Monday, October 5, as Hoodline reported. Just a week earlier, a multi-vehicle crash near Bullard Avenue sent ten people to the hospital and shut down the same corridor, underscoring how frequently this stretch of West Valley freeway turns into a bottleneck after serious wrecks.
A Freeway Interchange With a History of Serious Crashes
The 43rd Avenue interchange has seen major incidents before. In January 2023, FOX 10 Phoenix reported that a severe crash at the same location left a child in extremely critical condition and a teenager stable. ADOT shut down all westbound lanes for an investigation, and two people were taken to the hospital. There was no word on what caused that earlier collision, which involved a speeding sedan, a commercial semi-truck, and a pickup truck, with the semi ultimately slamming into the highway's concrete median barrier, the station reported.
More recently, in July, a closure on I-10 near 43rd Avenue affected the area, according to KTAR.
Traffic Safety Remains a Statewide Concern
Maricopa County recorded 594 traffic deaths in 2024.
The state's Governor's Office of Highway Safety has identified unrestrained occupants, speeding, and driver impairment as the three leading factors behind fatal crashes statewide, a pattern investigators will likely consider as they work to determine what caused Tuesday's deadly pileup on I-10.
