A Phoenix motorcycle crash resulted in 3 deaths and left 6 others badly injured when a dump truck slammed into the group of riders who were stopped at a traffic light at Carefree Highway and 27th Drive yesterday. Four other vehicles were also involved in the crash, which resulted from the dump truck driver failing to control its speed, according to AZCentral.com.
A Phoenix motorcycle crash yesterday left 3 dead. (AZCentral.com)
Three bikers were killed at the scenes. The victims were three males,
ages 67, 52, and 35. Their names have been withheld so far pending
notification of their families. Three others involved in the accident
are in serious condition today, while another rider was treated and
released. One rider in the group did not receive any injuries, according
to reports.One of the riders injured is Ernie Lizarraga, a 22-year veteran fire captain. He had surgary yesterday and is in critical condition today. He was off-duty when the accident happened, and is a member of the club Phoenix-M-C-Kruzers. It is unclear if the entire group consisted of members of that particular organization.
The crash occurred about 1pm, and left a nasty wreckage in the street, with motorcycles wedged underneath the front of the trucks and parts strewn about the intersection. An employee at a restaurant near the scene of the crash said: "We didn't see it happen. We were sitting in Peter Piper Pizza; we see this puff of black smoke. People started trickling out to see and the fireman, he was spraying at the front of the truck."
The driver of the truck, a 46-year-old man, had minor injuries and was not believed to be impaired by drugs or alcohol, according to authorities.
