Wrong-Way Crash Kills 3 College Students

Three GCU students, roommates killed in I-17 crash near New River – FOX 10 News Phoenix

Three Grand Canyon University students were killed in a wrong-way crash north of the Valley early Monday morning.

The Arizona Department of Public Safety says a wrong-way driver was driving southbound on Interstate 17 near Table Mesa Road before 4 a.m. This caused a four-vehicle collision on the I-17 involving a wrong-way driver. The drivers of two other victim cars sustained injuries that were not life-threatening.

Larsena Monroe and her husband were driving back from a Cardinals game when they saw a wrong-way driver traveling southbound on the I-17 northbound lanes. The driver slammed on the brakes and went off the side of the road to avoid getting hit.

Students gathered outside Diamondback Apartments on GCU’s campus to pay their respects to the three freshman students who lost their lives on I-17 after 2 a.m. Two weeks ago, the three girls were planning on rooming with their new friends and exploring all that Arizona has to offer. GCU family and friends are asking for support during this difficult time.

The Arizona Department of Transportation issuing a statement that the I-17 pilot wrong-way vehicle detection and alert system has detected more than 300 wrong-way vehicles since 2018, and that the system has been shown to reduce law enforcement response times and limit risks associated with often-impaired wrong-way drivers.

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