About 7:40 this morning, Maricopa Police and Fire units were dispatched to an accident, involving fire, on State Route 347 at Farrell Road. Ak-Chin Police and Fire units also responded.
The accident involved a red pickup truck and a green sedan. There are conflicting accounts of what happened, but it appears that the truck was attempting to make a left turn from Southbound 347 onto Eastbound Farrell when it was struck by the sedan, which was moving Northbound on 347 at the time.
The passenger in the sedan told me that the truck turned in front of them. The driver of the truck told paramedics that he was stopped in the intersection, waiting to turn, when he was struck by the car.
The driver of the car, a older female, was transported immediately to a local hospital for observation and evaluation. About 8:15am, the passenger of the sedan started to complain of neck and back pain, and was transported to the hospital for evaluation. The passenger is the driver's son.
About 8:40am, the driver of the pickup truck was also transported to a local medical center for observation.
Northbound 347 was closed at Farrell Road for approximately 45 minutes, and all traffic was diverted onto Farrell Road.
The Arizona Dept of Public Safety is investigating the accident. According to medics, the passenger in the sedan was not wearing a seatbelt at the time, and only the airbag deployment saved him from serious injury, or possible death.
A charged hose line was deployed in case it was needed.
In honor of the firehouse tradition of "He who gets his face on the news buys ice cream,"
Eventually, all involved parties were immobilized on backboards and transported for evaluation and observation.
