Arizona officials say seven people were killed in a fiery collision Sunday in Phoenix, when a semitrailer truck crossed the median and struck a van head on.
According to WRIC, the horrific accident took place on Interstate 10 at 11am about 60 miles west of Phoenix.
DPS spokesman Carrick Cook said the truck, loaded with 80,000 pounds of soda and traveling about 75 mph, was westbound on I-10 when it veered into the eastbound lanes and struck the van, which was carrying seven passengers.
After the head-on collision, both vehicles went off the right side of the highway after the collision and burst into flames, said Cook.
The two people in the truck — the driver and his spouse — were both injured in the crash and helicoptered to Banner Good Samaritan Hospital in Phoenix.
The spouse has a broken back, and she and her husband are both in serious condition, according to the spokesman.
Names of the victims who were riding in the van have not yet been released. Investigators only said that the vehicle was registered in a small western Arizona town.
According to Cook, the bodies are so severely burned there is no way to determine ages or genders of the victims.
Following the accident, authorities were forced to shut down Interstate 10 eastbound before noon and funneled drivers off the highway. One lane was reopened around 4:30pm, according to the state Department of Transportation’s official Twitter feed.
CBS5AZ has more on the tragic I-10 crash that killed seven in Phoenix in the following video:
