A Mesa man feels fortunate to be alive after a close call with a wrong-way driver on the Loop 202.
Kelly Knoll recorded the incident on the dash cam in his car.
According to Knoll, he was driving home along the Loop 202 near Country Club Drive early in the morning when he spotted another car coming towards him. In his video, you can see the approaching vehicle, with its lights on, in the same lane as Knoll.
"It's an experience that I've never had before," Knoll said. "I've never been in this much danger or potential danger."
Knoll says he had no more than four seconds to make a decision.
With another eastbound car to his right, the video shows Knoll speeding up in order to have room to merge out of the way of the oncoming car.
"Even when I see the video today, I still have a rush," he said. "I'm just amazed I wasn't taken out."
DPS was unable to locate the vehicle, but Knoll is sharing his experience in the hope it helps other drivers who find themselves in a similar situation.
"Be aware of your surroundings, where you are and what you may need to do should you be faced with something like this," Knoll said. "I never thought this would occur."
DPS urges all drivers to avoid distracted driving, thus allowing as much time as possible to react in the event you come across a wrong-way driver.
Updated numbers from DPS show the problem that comes with wrong-way drivers. According to the agency, in 2017 they have responded to 18 crashes where someone was either injured or killed. DPS has made 46 arrests of wrong-way drivers for DUI.
