A crash on westbound Valencia Road near Interstate 19 sent at least one person to the hospital in life-threatening condition Monday morning, triggering a shutdown that stretched for hours along Valencia Road. Tucson Police traffic detectives responded to the collision, which closed westbound Valencia from Santa Clara to I-19 and forced southbound Santa Clara to shut down as it approached Valencia.
According to KOLD, the person transported to the hospital was in life-threatening condition, per the Tucson Police Department, and officials warned the road closures could last several hours. The station advised drivers to seek alternate routes while crews worked the scene. One patient with life-threatening injuries was taken to a hospital.
Tucson Police traffic detectives responded to examine roadway evidence, as the Arizona Daily Star reported.
A Corridor With a Deadly Recent History
Monday's crash came just two days after another fatal collision on the same Tucson artery. A 31-year-old motorcyclist was killed on East Valencia Road on October 17 after running a red light at the eastbound Interstate 10 off-ramp and colliding with a sedan, the Arizona Daily Star reported. Valencia Road is an east-west corridor.
It was the second serious Valencia Road incident covered by Hoodline within the span of a week, following an earlier motorcycle crash near Kolb that also shut down a stretch of the roadway. Valencia Road has also been the site of fatal crashes.
Interstate Gateway Carries Heavy Freight and Commuter Load
Interstate 19 stretches 63 miles from Tucson to Nogales at the U.S.-Mexico border, and Valencia Road intersects it. The interchange connects the two roadways.
Transportation work on Valencia Road has included pedestrian facilities and signal or intersection upgrades.
That work has included pedestrian facilities and signal or intersection upgrades.
No further details on the cause of Monday's crash or the condition of the person hospitalized have been released.
