CAMP VERDE, AZ — A portion of Interstate 17 was shut down early Wednesday morning after a deadly wrong-way crash north of Camp Verde.
Arizona Department of Public Safety officials say the collision occurred around 2 a.m. in the southbound lanes of traffic near milepost 299, which is near the turnoff to State Route 179 which leads to the Village of Oak Creek and Sedona.
A vehicle was reportedly headed northbound in the southbound lanes of traffic when it collided head-on with another car.
The driver of the wrong-way vehicle, identified as 34-year-old Johnny Gutierrez of Camp Verde, died at the scene. No other occupants were in this vehicle, DPS officials say.
Four people in the victim vehicle were taken to hospitals with serious injuries.
Impairment is believed to have played a role in the crash.
