Woman Dies, Blasts Close Interstate for Hours as Ammo Truck Blows Up
A truck carrying 40,000 rounds of ammunition for warplanes went up in flames and explosions early Friday, killing the driver, injuring her husband and closing an interstate for hours, authorities said.
The tractor-trailer rig, loaded with 20-millimeter shells for aircraft cannon, veered off Interstate 17, went into a ditch and caught fire in a remote area about 30 miles north of Phoenix around 1 a.m., officials said.
“The shells kept exploding; it was like fireworks,” said Rock Springs Fire Chief Pete Davis. “There were shells for about 100 yards on either side. You couldn’t walk without stepping on one.”
Although no evacuations were necessary, the sporadic explosions kept authorities at bay until about 5:30 a.m., Davis said.
The body of the driver, Lois Bailey, 38, of Coleman, Ala., wasn’t found for hours because of the danger, State Department of Public Safety spokesman Allan Schmidt said.
Her 33-year-old husband, Rick, was in serious condition at a hospital in Phoenix, a hospital spokeswoman said.
The backup on I-17, the major link between Phoenix and Flagstaff, stretched 10 miles and traffic was delayed for hours, Schmidt said.
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