(Sahuarita, AZ) A wrong-way pickup driver caused multiple crashes on Interstate 19 near Sahuarita and Green Valley, before troopers stopped him.
On October 29, at around 7 a.m., a pickup towing a camper was reported traveling south in the northbound lanes of I-19. Arizona Department of Public Safety troopers stopped the driver between the Pima Mine Road and Canoa Road exits. The driver was a 75-year-old man, according to DPS.
Santa Rita Fire District crews responded to multiple crashes connected to the wrong-way vehicle. The district reported no major injuries. Authorities suspended the man’s license pending a reexamination.
The incident followed ADOT’s installation of a wrong-way detection system along I-19 during summer 2026. The system operates at multiple locations between Tucson and Nogales and sends alerts to ADOT and DPS when it detects a vehicle traveling against traffic. Dispatchers can post warnings on electronic signs and use freeway cameras to locate the vehicle.
Legal Guidance on the Interstate 19 Collision
Arizona Revised Statutes 28-731 requires motorists on divided highways to use the proper roadway for their direction of travel. DPS’s account places the pickup traveling south on the roadway reserved for northbound traffic.
The driver’s license reexamination concerns his continued qualification to drive. His age alone offers no explanation for entering the wrong-way lanes, and the reported suspension should not be described as a conviction for causing the crashes.
The detection system serves a different purpose: notifying responders and warning approaching motorists. Its presence along I-19 does not establish when an alert occurred during this incident or how troopers first located the pickup.
Support for the Victim
After an Interstate 19 collision connected to this incident, give DPS the approximate time and location of your particular crash when requesting its report; crews responded to several collisions along the corridor. For anyone encountering a wrong-way vehicle, Graves urged drivers to leave the freeway or pull over when safe, then report its location. “As soon as it’s safe to do so, call 911,” he said.
If you have any concerns about navigating the legal process surrounding this incident, call 866-883-4318 to speak with a lawyer.
