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Wrong-Way Crash on Loop 202 in Tempe Kills Two Drivers Early Sunday
Two drivers died after a wrong-way collision on eastbound Loop 202 at Scottsdale Road around 12:40 a.m. Sunday, according to the Arizona Department of Public Safety. Investigators have not said whether impairment was a factor.
Two people are dead after a wrong-way crash on a Tempe freeway early Sunday morning, the Arizona Department of Public Safety said.
Troopers were called to the eastbound lanes of Loop 202, the Red Mountain Freeway, near Scottsdale Road at about 12:40 a.m. after reports of a two-vehicle collision, according to DPS.
Both drivers were pronounced dead at the scene, authorities said. Neither vehicle carried any passengers, so no one else was hurt.
The circumstances that led one vehicle to travel against traffic remain under investigation. DPS said it was not yet known whether impairment played a role.
Wrong-way crashes are among the most lethal on Arizona's freeway system because closing speeds between opposing vehicles can exceed 130 mph, leaving little time for drivers to react. State transportation officials have in recent years expanded wrong-way detection systems and alert networks on stretches of Valley freeways, but such collisions continue to claim lives.
Sunday's crash closed or restricted the eastbound lanes near Scottsdale Road during the overnight hours while investigators documented the scene.
DPS did not immediately release the names or ages of the two drivers, citing the ongoing investigation and pending notification of relatives. Anyone with information about the crash is asked to contact the department.