A roadside worker is recovering after a cement truck swerved into a crew working along U.S. 60 in the East Valley, sending him to the trauma unit with serious injuries.
Jordan Curtis was rushed to Banner Desert Medical Center with a shattered wrist and other serious injuries after the incident, which his coworker, Noah Rivera described as "a quarter mile of chaos."
"It was definitely pretty eye-opening how fast things can happen. Like in the blink of an eye, people's lives can change," Rivera said.
Jordan Curtis works for Desert Dogs, a veteran-owned, second-chance employer where he has been employed for about two months and was recently promoted to driver. Curtis has already had surgery for a shattered wrist but is expected to recover.
Desert Dogs has been contracted to clean up East Valley freeways. On Wednesday, his crew was working on the westbound side of Highway 60 near the Val Vista exit in Mesa when the crash occurred.
"On the shoulder pulled off ready to go to work and then they heard the noise happen of screeching tires," his boss said.
The cement truck reportedly swerved to avoid a different crash, veering directly into the Desert Dogs crew.
According to Arizona Department of Transportation numbers, both work zone crash injuries and deaths have been increasing:
Crash reports show that since 2020 at least 75 people have been killed in work zone-related crashes along all roads in Arizona, including local streets and state highways. Arizona work zone crash statistics over the past five years include the following:
2020: 11 fatalities, 23 serious injuries
2021: 13 fatalities, 26 serious injuries
2022: 11 fatalities, 29 serious injuries
2023: 17 fatalities, 29 serious injuries
2024*: 23 fatalities, 33 serious injuries (*preliminary: all 2024 crash reports not yet analyzed)
An ADOT spokesperson added, “Safety is ADOT’s number one priority, and drivers can make better decisions behind the wheel to help keep workers who build and maintain Arizona’s highways safe. Drivers should always stay alert and avoid distractions when traveling through work zones — or on any roadway. Workers may be working on or near the road, so it is important drivers pay attention to their surroundings, follow the posted signage, and slow down.”
Curtis's coworkers say he is thankful to still be alive and hopes drivers will be more mindful of roadside workers.
"If you slow down just a little bit, you may get to your destination 10 seconds later and that 10 seconds later may save somebody's life," Desert Veterans owner Anthony Calderon said.
DPS did not say if any citations were issued.
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