Phoenix, AZ — In the early hours of July 28, 2024, emergency crews responded to a dramatic vehicle collision at the intersection of 47th Avenue and Cholla Street in Phoenix. A pickup truck crashed through a guardrail and an iron fence before plummeting 30 feet into a flood diversion channel.
The Glendale Fire Department was first on the scene, quickly upgrading the incident to a technical rescue operation. This drew additional resources from both Phoenix and Glendale fire departments to assist in the complex rescue.
Firefighters coordinated with the Phoenix Police Department to devise a rescue plan. Phoenix Police officers accessed the spillway using their patrol vehicles through a nearby maintenance entrance. Upon reaching the scene, fire crews provided first aid equipment to the officers to stabilize the driver, who was found lying on the ground near the severely damaged truck.
The officers administered first aid, stabilizing the male driver before loading him into a patrol vehicle. They then extracted him from the spillway and met with fire crews waiting outside. The driver was transferred to an ambulance and taken to a local trauma center with serious injuries.
Phoenix Police remained at the scene to investigate the circumstances of the collision. The cause of the accident is under investigation, and further details will be released as they become available.
This incident highlights the cooperation and quick action of multiple emergency services in responding to a complex rescue scenario in a residential neighborhood.