PHOENIX — A portion of westbound Interstate 10 was shut down for several hours near downtown Phoenix due to a death investigation early Monday morning.
ABC15 crews first got to the scene around 4 a.m. where officials were investigating a vehicle stopped in the middle of the freeway near 7th Avenue.
I-10WB is CLOSED at 7th Ave for a single car crash involving injury. One person taken to the hospital. The 10 is going to be a parking lot for a while this AM.
— Jordan Bontke (@JBontkeABC15) June 10, 2024
DPS doesn’t know when the hwy will open back up. Traffic diverted at 7th Ave both north and south. @abc15 pic.twitter.com/j9VU34zwvW
Arizona Department of Public Safety officials originally said the investigation involved a collision, but they were not able to provide any more details on injuries or a possible cause.
DPS later said the incident was a homicide and that Phoenix Police Department would be investigating. However, officials later said it was a "death investigation" and the cause of the man's death would be determined by a medical examiner.
Phoenix police say the driver, only identified as a man, suffered at least one gunshot wound and did not survive his injuries.
Phoenix police officials told ABC15 Tuesday that the incident was not related to any prior investigations, including another shooting incident on I-10 last week.
ABC15's Jordan Bontke spoke with a woman who said she was driving in the area when she heard a "pop" noise and saw the involved vehicle lose control while traveling at a high rate of speed. She told us the victim's vehicle struck the barrier wall multiple times.
Traffic was closed for several hours Monday but reopened around noon.
