Fatal accident on I-10 diverts traffic through Maricopa

Maricopa residents will see higher-than-normal traffic Thursday because on an early-morning crash on Interstate 10 near Casa Grande.

Eastbound lanes of the freeway will remain closed until around 11:30 a.m. after a five-vehicle fatal accident, Arizona Department of Public Safety spokesman Bart Graves said.

Some traffic was being diverted at State Route 347 and travelling through Maricopa.

 Local traffic was exacerbated by an accident at John Wayne Parkway and Edison Road.

Graves said traffic should clear up through Maricopa around noon, when the eastbound I-10 lanes reopen.

“It will take a while to clear the backup,” Graves said.

The accident happened around 5:15 a.m. A westbound semi truck crossed over the median and crashed head-on into an eastbound vehicle, Graves said.

The driver of the eastbound vehicle died. The truck driver suffered non-life-threatening injuries.

The truck was on its side on the shoulder, facing oncoming traffic, after the accident.

Traffic originally was closed in both directions on the freeway.

One other person was injured in the accident.