Concrete truck slams into road crew along Arizona highway

MESA, AZ (AZFamily) — Newly released dashcam video shows the moments a cement truck mixer crashed into a roadside crew on the U.S. 60 in Mesa on Wednesday, seriously injuring a worker.

Arizona Department of Public Safety troopers say the crash happened around 7:30 a.m. near the Val Vista exit. Initial reports indicated the driver suffered minor injuries in the collision that caused a massive backup in the East Valley. But his coworkers say the man suffered much more extensive injuries.

The video shows the terrifying moments as workers cleaning an area along the side of the freeway appear to panic as they see the fast-moving truck approach. The large truck is then seen hitting the passenger side of the road crew’s vehicle, then hitting one worker and narrowly missing at least one other.

Those workers are employed by Desert Dogs, a company that is contracted with ADOT. Company officials say an employee identified as Jordan Curtis was the worker who was struck and suffered traumatic injuries, including several broken bones, cuts to his face and body, as well as a shattered wrist. He was rushed to Banner Desert Medical Center, where he remains hospitalized.

“It is both graphic and harrowing—a sobering reminder of the dangers faced by those who work to keep Arizona’s highways clean and safe,” said Anthony Calderon, Desert Dogs’ CEO.

He says Curtis had just started at the veteran-owned company for about a month, landing a promotion due to his drive and dedication to his work.

Calderon says he is sharing the video in hopes that the public and local leaders take notice and stop it from happening again, calling the wreck a “preventable tragedy,” concluding that “it should not take another worker being critically injured for change to happen.”

“This accident shines a light on the hidden dangers roadside crews face every day. These are the individuals who take pride in their work, many of them veterans or people on a second chance path, trying to contribute to the betterment of their communities,” Calderon said.

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