INDEPENDENT NEWSMEDIA
A three-vehicle collision that involved a tractor-trailer was caused by several vehicles street racing, authorities said.
The Arizona Department of Public Safety reported Monday the accident occurred at about 7:55 p.m. Jan. 19 on westbound Interstate 10 near 43rd Avenue in Phoenix.
A number of 911 calls came in to DPS reporting “several vehicles engaging in street racing in the area at the time of the crash,” according to a release.
DPS troopers suspect the driver of an Infiniti sedan was racing other vehicles “when he swerved right to avoid slowing traffic, lost control of his car and struck a highway barrier wall before swerving back across highway travel lanes and striking a commercial tractor-trailer,” the release stated.
The impact from the Infiniti caused the tractor-trailer to swerve left, collide with a pickup truck and strike the median barrier, troopers said.
The Infiniti driver’s “reckless actions resulted in injuries to other motorists, significant damage to multiple vehicle, and caused major damage to highway barrier systems,” DPS stated in the release.
This collision led to a three-hour road closure.
The driver of the Infiniti, Julian Beltran-Cardenas, 31, of Phoenix, was arrested and faces charges including racing on highways, reckless endangerment and aggravated assault, authorities said.
DPS officials said 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.
