Phoenix Fire crews faced several challenges Monday night saving five people involved in a wrong-way crash.
According to the Arizona Department of Safety, a 40-year-old man from Cave Creek was driving the wrong-way car that crashed into several other cars traveling southbound on I-17 near Thomas Road. Firefighters were seen working to free the man from the mangled wreckage. “Obviously, you saw the video, it’s catastrophic,” says Phoenix Fire Capt. Rob McDade.
McDade says crews are in constant communication as they navigate heavy traffic on the freeway. Once they arrive at a wrong-way crash, McDade says firefighters rely on their training to come up with a quick strategy to help everyone hurt. The debris often poses a problem.
“We’re going to need the ram, we’re going to need the spreader,” says McDade. Investigators say the wrong-way driver suffered life-threatening injuries and was likely high on drugs.