PHOENIX — A street race on Jan. 19 along Interstate 10 in Phoenix ended in a crash with a tractor-trailer that caused several injuries.
The Arizona Department of Public Safety (DPS) said in a Facebook post that a three-vehicle collision happened around 7:55 p.m. in the westbound lanes of I-10 near 43rd Avenue. Police reported receiving multiple 911 calls reporting vehicles street racing in the area at the time of the crash.
Arizona troopers said they believe the accident happened when one of the racers, who was driving an Infiniti sedan, swerved right to avoid slowing traffic and lost control of his car, causing him to strike a highway barrier before swerving back into the highway and crashing with a tractor-trailer.
The impact from the Infiniti caused the tractor-trailer to swerve left and collide with a pickup truck, almost pinning it against a median barrier.
“The Infiniti driver’s reckless actions resulted in injuries to other motorists, significant damage to multiple vehicles and caused major damage to highway barrier systems,” Arizona DPS stated in the post. “This collision also led to a three-hour road closure, impacting many motorists during their evening commute.”
Officers arrested Julian Beltran-Cardenas, 31, of Phoenix, who is identified as the driver of the Infiniti. He is facing charges of racing on highways, reckless endangerment and aggravated assault.
“Drivers and participants caught engaging in street racing may face penalties including a 20-day vehicle impound, fines, community restitution, and the possibility of jail time for second and subsequent offenses,” Arizona DPS stated.
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