Authorities are investigating after a good Samaritan was hit and killed while helping people involved in an earlier crash along the Loop 202 Red Mountain in Mesa on Thursday.
Around 11 a.m. an SUV was exiting eastbound L-202 at Recker Road when the driver lost control of the vehicle, officials said.
DPS says the SUV went down a gravel embankment and across the freeway and struck a median.
The crash blocked the center emergency lane and part of the HOV lane, however, no injuries were reported.
Shortly after the first crash, several drivers stopped to try to help divert traffic and assist the people involved in the first crash.
Separately, another vehicle was driving in the HOV lane when that driver saw the crash scene and attempted to swerve left into the center emergency lane, officials said. The driver then drove to the right across the HOV lane and hit one of the good Samaritans who was still out of his vehicle.
The person who was hit, identified by DPS as 51-year-old Floyd McQuillen III of Queen Creek, was taken to the hospital and died from his injuries. No other injuries were immediately reported.
Eastbound L-202 reopened around 1:15 p.m.
L-202 Red Mountain eastbound has reopened between Higley and Recker. #PhxTraffic pic.twitter.com/tP3Fbg52YJ
— Arizona DOT (@ArizonaDOT) May 24, 2018
An investigation into the crash remains ongoing at this time.
