A crash involving a pedestrian on Interstate 17 turned deadly early Monday morning, leaving one person dead in the New River area north of Phoenix. Arizona Department of Public Safety officials confirmed the fatality after the collision happened sometime after 4 a.m., though the circumstances that led up to it remain unclear.
DPS initially confirmed to ABC15 that the crash involved a pedestrian and a vehicle, but troopers could not immediately provide details about the extent of the injuries involved. Officials later told the station that the incident had left one person dead. Video captured at the scene showed what appeared to be a semi-truck with front-end damage, though that detail has not been independently confirmed beyond what was visible on camera.
Cause Still Under Investigation
As of Monday, the cause of the crash had not been determined, and DPS has not released information about who was involved or what led to the pedestrian being on the interstate. Officials said the roadway has since reopened to traffic, according to the same report from ABC15.
The New River stretch of I-17 has seen pedestrian fatalities before. In a separate incident, 12News reported that a pedestrian was struck and killed by a box truck on I-17 near the New River Road exit north of Anthem, a crash that forced troopers to close and later reopen northbound lanes. In that case, authorities had not released whether impairment or speed played a role in the collision.
Pattern of Pedestrian Crashes on the Corridor
Pedestrian-involved wrecks have struck other stretches of I-17 as well. In an incident near Thomas Road, preliminary information cited by KTAR News indicated the pedestrian may have run into the roadway before being struck by a semi-truck, underscoring how unpredictable these collisions can be for drivers on the freeway.
No further details have been released about the person killed in Monday's crash near New River, and DPS has not said what, if anything, contributed to the collision. Hoodline will update this story as more information becomes available.
