Tempe, AZ — July 11, 2025, five people were injured in a truck accident at about 4:20 a.m. on U.S. Route 60 near Mill Avenue.

Authorities said a Dodge pickup rear-ended an attenuator truck that was driving slowly in the left as a worker picked up traffic barricades. The impact caused the pickup to spin into a passing box truck.

Five people were hospitalized after the crash, according to authorities, including the pickup driver, who suffered serious injuries. Their names have not been made public yet.

Authorities have not released any additional information about the crash at this time. The accident is still being investigated.

Commentary

When people read about a crash like this, the first thing they’re likely to ask is: How could something like this happen in the middle of the night with so little traffic on the road? That’s a fair question, and one that doesn’t yet have a clear answer. What we do know is that a Dodge pickup hit an attenuator truck that was reportedly driving slowly in the left lane while a worker retrieved traffic barricades. That impact caused the pickup to spin and collide with a nearby box truck. Five people ended up in the hospital, including the pickup driver, who was seriously hurt.

But that sequence alone doesn’t tell us what actually caused this chain of events, or whether it could have been prevented.

For starters, it’s not clear whether the attenuator truck was properly marked or lit for nighttime work. Was it displaying flashing lights? Was it following standard protocol for moving lane closures? If the driver of the pickup didn’t see the attenuator until it was too late, we need to understand why. Dash camera footage from any of the vehicles involved could offer crucial clarity on how visible the work zone actually was in those pre-dawn hours.

It’s also not clear what condition the pickup driver was in. Was he distracted? Impaired? Speeding? A serious investigation will need to look into his phone records, possible impairment and vehicle speed at the time of impact, information that can be retrieved from the truck’s onboard diagnostics or “black box.”

Then there’s the box truck that the pickup spun into. Depending on its position and movement, it may have been a passive victim or an aggravating factor. Unfortunately, at this point, it’s not clear whether the box truck was in motion or stationary at the time of the second impact.

All this goes to show that determining responsibility in a crash like this isn’t about picking a scapegoat; it’s about gathering hard evidence. That includes cell phone records, dash cams, in-cab video, black box data and interviews with every person involved. Only then can we figure out who made what decisions and whether those decisions contributed to five people ending up in the hospital.

Key Takeaways:

• It’s unclear whether the attenuator truck was properly marked or lit for early-morning work.
• Investigators need to determine if the pickup driver was impaired, distracted, or speeding.
• The box truck’s role in the crash is unknown: was it moving or stopped at the time of impact?
• Black box data, dash cams and cell phone records will be essential to understanding what happened.
• Thorough investigations aim not just to assign blame, but to make sure accountability is based on facts, not assumptions.