Arizona DPS stops wrongway driver on busy freeway
A wrong-way driver in Phoenix was arrested on Interstate 10 Wednesday morning during rush hour traffic.
According to Arizona Department of Public Safety, Richard Elliott, 73, was traveling eastbound within the westbound traffic lanes on I-10 near Elliot Road. An AZDPS trooper noticed the wrong-way pickup truck on his morning commute as he entered eastbound on Loop 202 San Tan freeway driving 50 miles per hour.
A DPS trooper conducted a traffic break, stopping westbound traffic while a DPS sergeant deployed a police intervention technique to stop the wrong-way driver.
Elliott of Phoenix was booked on two counts of felony endangerment. Impairment has not been ruled out, DPS said.
“The quick actions of Sergeant Kunda, and the collaboration between troopers in the field and in the Traffic Operations Center, no doubt, saved lives today. Wrong way driving incidents are fast, dynamic, and extremely dangerous. Also, considering this incident occurred during morning rush hour traffic, the end result could’ve been deadly had it not been for the decisiveness and bravery of our AZDPS sergeant and Highway Patrol troopers,” said AZDPS Director, Colonel Frank Milstead.
