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Freeway reopens west of Phoenix after horrific crash killed 4

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Freeway reopens west of Phoenix after horrific crash killed 4


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Interstate 10 eastbound was reopened at 5:19 a.m. on Sunday after being closed for more than 16 hours west of Phoenix after a horrific accident that took the lives of four people.

The Department of Public Safety originally told The Arizona Republic six people had died, but they confirmed Sunday morning that there were four deaths, two people in critical condition receiving life-saving treatment and six people taken to hospitals for their injuries. Five of those people had already been released.

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The crash occurred shortly before 1 p.m. Saturday, according to a DPS spokesperson. The fiery crash happened about 14 miles west of Tonopah involving multiple vehicles and tractor-trailers, authorities said Saturday night.

Warren Trent, an agency spokesperson, said on Sunday morning that DPS would lead the investigation into the incident while noting that it would take time to fully reconstruct what happened given the number of people and collisions involved.

Trent said there was no evidence that speed or impairment were factors in the collision but that would ultimately be determined during the investigation. Adverse weather, however, might have played a role.

“Troopers are investigating whether blowing dust was a significant factor in the collisions by potentially causing reduced visibility,” Trent said.

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He urged anyone driving in conditions where visibility was limited to slow down at the very least as it takes longer for a vehicle to come to a complete stop the faster it goes.

The Arizona Department of Transportation confirmed there is construction at that location.

Trent said the vehicles involved six commercial motor vehicles, four passenger vehicles, a van and a recreational vehicle towing a trailer.

Trent said DPS was not yet identifying any of the deceased as troopers were still working to notify next of kin.

“This is just a very tragic situation,” Trent said. “Very tragic.”

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Trent said he didn’t know how long it took for troopers to respond to the scene, but there are troopers stationed across the state, so the crash’s remote location shouldn’t have been a factor.

A photo supplied by the agency showed several vehicles scorched by fire and intact tractor-trailers positioned along the freeway shoulder.

What caused the crash was not immediately known. Investigators worked at the scene late into the night.

Drivers heading east toward Phoenix were required to exit the freeway at milepost 81, Salome Road, creating huge backups throughout Saturday.

The accident occurred near milepost 88.

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(This story was updated to add a video and new information.)



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Arizona

Strong winds continue across parts of Arizona; triple digits to return mid-week

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Strong winds continue across parts of Arizona; triple digits to return mid-week


PHOENIX (AZFamily) — A Red Flag warning is in effect until 8 p.m. for eastern Arizona, including the Greer Fire, where continued gusts from the southwest at 40-45 mph are possible.

On Sunday, the Red Flag Warning will continue for the Little Colorado River Valley. Gusty conditions will likely continue at times for the rest of Eastern Arizona, including Greer. Monday will also be breezy in the high country as winds turn more from the northwest. A few showers and thunderstorms are possible from tonight into Monday in the high country, but much of the area will likely stay dry.

After a breezy day in the Valley, breezes will continue at times this evening into Sunday morning with gusts of 20-25 mph possible. A cool front will knock highs back to the 80s on Sunday, with a high of 88 expected. Sunday afternoon and evening may not be quite as breezy in the Valley as Saturday, but some gusts of 20 mph are still possible.

Monday will be warmer with highs in the low 90s. Breezes will pick up from the west Monday afternoon and evening with potential gusts around 25 mph. Highs will continue to warm in the upper 90s on Tuesday as a ridge of high pressure starts to build. The ridge will continue to take hold mid-week, bringing high temperatures into the low to mid-100s Wednesday through Friday. For the start of Memorial Day weekend on Saturday, highs are forecast just above 100. However, there is some uncertainty about the temperature forecast from Saturday into the rest of Memorial Day weekend, so check back for updates.

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Prisoners use locks as weapons in video that appears to show fight in Arizona prison

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Prisoners use locks as weapons in video that appears to show fight in Arizona prison


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  • A video appearing to depict a fight within an Arizona prison, involving makeshift weapons, has surfaced on social media.
  • Arizona Department of Corrections, Rehabilitation and Reentry officials have stated they will address inquiries about the video next week.
  • The incident’s location and date remain unconfirmed.

A video capturing a fight in what appears to be an Arizona prison was posted on social media, showing a man bloodied and being followed by two others with makeshift flails — metal locks hanging from the ends of tethers.

Representatives of Arizona’s prison system declined to immediately comment on the 3-minute video.

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The combatants were dressed in orange pants and shirts with “ADC” stamped on them.

It’s not clear when or where the video was shot. It follows a fight between one man and two others that moves from inside a building, through a doorway and outside into a prison yard. No correctional officers or prison personnel are visible at any point in the footage that appears to be shot on a cell phone.

Cell phones are considered contraband in Arizona prisons and are prohibited. How the person filming the video obtained the device was unclear.

Arizona’s prison system is run by the Arizona Department of Corrections, Rehabilitation and Reentry. Reached by email on May 16, department officials said they would respond to The Arizona Republic’s inquiries about the video, including whether they could confirm it had been filmed in an Arizona prison, next week.

On April 4, three men were killed inside the Cimarron Unit at the Arizona State Prison Complex in Tucson. The Department of Corrections identified Ricky Wassenaar, a violent repeat offender serving 16 life sentences for a 2004 attempted prison escape that turned into a hostage crisis, as the sole suspect in the triple homicide. Saul Alvarez, 51, Thorne Harnage, 42, and Donald Lashley, 75, were the men killed.

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The incident prompted strong criticism from state lawmakers, including House Judiciary Chair Quang Nguyen, R-Prescott Valley, who demanded accountability from the department and questioned why Wassenaar was placed in a lower-security unit despite repeated warnings and past disciplinary violations.

3-minute video shows conflict move through multiple prison areas

The video begins with two men on the ground, legs interlocked, wrestling away from each other.

One man, with long black hair, stands up holding an orange tether. At the end of it swings a metal combination lock — he holds it like a weapon.

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Another man, with short black hair, still on the ground, pushes himself backward. His face and clothes are bloodied.

In the background, voices can be heard.

“Joseph, give me the password.”

“Get the (expletive) out of here.”

“You want the password?”

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“Let him go. Let him go, man.”

The bloodied man stumbles to his feet and backs out of the frame. The man with the makeshift flail follows, and another man, also in orange, holding a tethered lock, joins behind him.

The room comes into view: white cinderblock walls, waist-high dividers, rows of bunk beds and two long, rectangular windows letting in sunlight.

The second man with a flail steps forward and feigns a move. The man with short hair picks up a chair, trying to shield himself.

Heavy breathing fills the audio. Someone off-camera says, “Go on, get out of here.”

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The camera dips behind a wall and then shows the scene again. One man holds his lock by his shoulder, ready to strike. The other crouches behind the chair, blood on his face and shoulder.

“You want me to leave or not? Move,” says the bloodied man.

“Leave right now,” one of the men replies, pointing.

Then to the other: “Bro, just get the (expletive) over here, on this side. Hurry up.”

“There — go,” the man with long hair says, motioning at the man with the chair.

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“Alright. Password?” the man with the chair asks, holding his hand up.

“I don’t give a (expletive),” comes the response.

The bloodied man walks away through an open doorway, and the long-haired man with the flail follows.

“Leave. Leave, (expletive),” the man with long hair yells, walking out the door.

The camera follows them outside.

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A cement walkway cuts between blue buildings on one side and a tall metal fence on the other.

The two men face off again. The bloodied man, still carrying the chair, suddenly throws it and runs.

The man with the flail catches him. Grabs him. The second man with a weapon rushes in, swinging his lock. It hits.

The bloodied man falls, a trail of dust lifting as he rolls away.

He gets back up near the metal fence, barbed wire above him, then takes off along the edge.

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“(Expletive) the rat,” someone says off camera.

The bloodied man walks off into the distance. The two men stalk after him.

In the background, a loud banging sound — like wheels hitting seams in the concrete — echoes as the camera trails far behind and the video ends.

Video reflects known dangers in Arizona prisons, advocate says

Maria Morris, a senior staff attorney with the American Civil Liberties Union’s National Prison Project, reviewed the video and said it reflected troubling patterns reported by incarcerated people in Arizona, including assaults involving improvised weapons such as locks in socks.

Morris, whose work focuses on solitary confinement, said many people are placed into general population units despite warning staff that they do not feel safe.

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Prisoners often feel unsafe after they opt out of prison gang affiliation by signing what’s known as an “Integrated Housing Program agreement,” which indicates a willingness to be housed with people of any race, Morris said. In Arizona prisons, that decision can mark someone as a target.

Often, prison staff tell them they must go into the general housing unit anyway, she said.

“They are told that they need to stay on the unit until they are threatened or assaulted,” she said.

Afterward, they’re typically moved into solitary confinement — sometimes for months — before the cycle repeats, Morris said.



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Arizona Gov. Hobbs signs bill allowing early morning construction in summer

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Arizona Gov. Hobbs signs bill allowing early morning construction in summer


PHOENIX (AZFamily) — Arizonans might now hear construction crews working earlier in the morning during summertime.

This week, Gov. Katie Hobbs signed SB1182, which prohibits any restrictions by city, town or county governments on early morning construction work from May 1 to Oct. 15.

This new law allows for construction activities from 5 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Monday through Friday and from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Saturdays.

It also states that concrete must be allowed to be poured at least an hour before the time that construction activities are scheduled to begin.

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ANSWER THE POLL: Is 5 a.m. on weekdays in the summer too early for construction projects to begin?

The new law is aimed at protecting workers from the extreme Arizona summer heat, but some are concerned about the noise coming earlier.

“More than 50% of cities in Arizona already allow construction to start at 5 a.m., and this is only during the extreme heat of the summer months, so I think it’s important for people to realize for people to build our cities, that build our communities are safe,” State Sen. Analise Ortiz (D-24) said.

SB1182 takes effect immediately.

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