Semi rollover closes down I-17
Staff Report ~ 7/28/2010

A semi truck rollover accident just less than three miles north of New River brought northbound traffic to a halt on July 21.
At 12:22 p.m. Daisy Mountain Fire Department received the call that a semi flatbed truck carrying 50,000 pounds of cargo, in the form of copper castings, had crashed just south of exit 235.
“It tipped on its side and took out about 100 feet of guardrail,” Daisy Mountain Fire Marshal Phillip Dyer said.
In sliding on its side the semi not only dumped its load, but caught fire.
“The driver got out without sustaining any serious injuries,” Dyer said. “He had a slight laceration on his head, but was otherwise fine, which was impressive considering the truck burned to the ground.”
Daisy Mountain Fire extinguished the flames from the semi and also put out the grass fire that was sparked by the accident.
“The freeway was a big mess,” he said. “There was a lot of debris, the guardrail was spread across the road and then there was a lot of diesel fuel out there.”
Traffic was directed off I-17 at the New River exit while traffic north of the New River exit, stuck behind the accident was sent southbound on northbound I-17 where they exited at the New River exit.
Northbound 1-17 was closed some four hours after the accident as traffic was backed up to mile marker 228, approximately six miles south of the crash site.
On Thursday a different semi truck was sent up to the site of the accident to pick up the copper casting.