(Photo: 12 News)Chris Williams, 12 News
August 11, 2015
Gila Bend, Arizona
A crash involving a prison bus closed Interstate 8 westbound near Gila Bend early Tuesday, severely injuring the driver and sending others to the hospital. KPNX
A crash involving a prison bus closed Interstate 8 near Gila Bend early Tuesday, severely injuring the driver and sending others to the hospital.
About 1:08 a.m., a commercial semi was headed westbound on the interstate around mile marker 138. According to the Department of Public Safety, the driver the truck lost control and the semi rolled onto its side with its trailer completely blocking the interstate.
A few minutes, later a Department of Corrections bus carrying 50 inmates and two staff members was headed west on interstate 8.
DPS says it appears the bus driver never saw the semi trailer and smashed through the load and into the median.
Three people were airlifted to the hospital with serious injuries, including the driver of the DOC bus and two inmates.
Eighteen more inmates and the other staff member were taken to the hospital by ground.
As of 6:30 a.m., both westbound lanes of I-8 remained closed, but one eastbound lane had been reopened.
Westbound traffic was being diverted at Exit 151 to SR 84 East to SR 347 North to I-10.
All inmates are accounted for, DPS said.
According to DPS, the inmates who were not injured were cooperating with first responders and even helping to direct traffic around the wreck and rendering aid to the injured inmates.
The inmates are minimum-security prisoners from Lewis Prison in Buckeye, who were returning from a work detail in Casa Grande.
The bus belongs to the Arizona Department of Corrections, according to a spokesman, though it had not been painted with the typical DOC color scheme or logos.
The driver of the semi tells 12 News he lost control when swerving to avoid hitting an animal.
The semi had been carrying herbicides, which spilled in the wreck. A DPS spokesman says it is not considered a hazardous material, but a haz-mat crew was dispatched as a precaution to help in the cleanup.
Maricopa County Sheriff's Office deputies and border patrol agents helped with the crash scene.
The bus appears to have crashed into the back of a semi stopped on the interstate, Aug. 11, 2015. (Photo: 12 News)