PIMA — A Fort Thomas man was severely injured when the vehicle he was driving crossed the centerline on U.S. Highway 70, and collided with a semi-truck hauling sulphuric acid.
The crash occurred at milepost 326 near Pima on Wednesday night at about 11:30 p.m.
The 19-year-old driver of the 1998 Toyota 4-Runner sport utility vehicle had to be extricated from his vehicle by Pima Fire. He was transported to Mt. Graham Regional Medical Center with severe, nonlife-threatening injuries, before being transported to a Tucson hospital.
The driver of the 2009 Freightliner truck, identified as a 24-year-old man from Thatcher, was uninjured; however, his vehicle rolled and the majority of sulphuric acid leaked out of the truck, forcing the closure of the eastbound lane of U.S. Highway 70 until after 1 a.m. Thursday, while DPS HazMat crews conducted the cleanup.
Arizona Department of Public Safety said investigation into what caused the SUV to veer out of its lane is ongoing.
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