Two people are dead and two others are hospitalized with serious injuries after a two-vehicle crash shut down southbound State Route 77 near Wilds Road early Monday morning, according to the Arizona Department of Public Safety. The wreck, reported around 6:15 a.m., forced a closure of the highway and nearby Oracle Road as crews worked the scene.
The crash happened on southbound SR-77 at milepost 85, the location identified as Wilds Road, according to kgun9.com. Two people were pronounced dead at the scene and two others were taken to a hospital with serious injuries, the outlet reported, citing the ongoing DPS investigation. The crash involved at least two vehicles, including a sedan and a dual-rear-wheeled truck, per the same station's separate report on the incident.
South Oracle Road was also closed between East Wild Road and East Golder Ranch Drive because of the crash, according to kvoa.com. Pima County Sheriff's Department deputies were posted at the scene helping another agency manage the closure, KVOA reported. Drivers in the area were urged to use North Bowman Road and North Lago del Oro Parkway as alternate routes while crews worked.
Multiple Agencies Respond as Highway Stays Shut
Golder Ranch Fire District and Oracle Fire were among the multiple agencies that responded to the deadly crash, the station's report on the emergency response noted. The Arizona Department of Public Safety also responded to the scene, and KOLD likewise reported that two people were killed and two others were seriously injured.
Officials had not released further details about what led to the crash, including any information on contributing factors or citations.
Not the First Deadly Wreck on This Stretch
The closure kept southbound lanes shut for the investigation, mirroring a pattern seen on this corridor before. In May, a fatal two-vehicle crash completely blocked SR-77 at milepost 96 near Biosphere Road, also in Oracle, Arizona's Department of Public Safety reported at the time. That crash, which happened around 5:15 a.m. according to KVOA, killed the lone occupant of one vehicle while an occupant of the other vehicle was hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries; the roadway reopened later that same morning.
SR-77 has seen other fatal closures over the years. A deadly rollover was also reported at Oracle Junction.
As of Monday, it remained unclear when the current closure near Wilds Road would be lifted or when investigators would release additional findings on the cause of the crash.
