Rollover crashes on I-19 increase over last year
The Arizona Dept. of Public Safety says it's doing what it can to educate drivers about highway safety.
Reporter: Alexis Fernandez
Web Producer: Rikki Mitchell, Mekita Rivas
TUCSON (KGUN9-TV) - It has only been a week and already two people have been killed after their vehicles rolled along a stretch of I-19.
On Saturday, Jose Leon Marino, 18, was traveling south on I-19 at a high speed near Sahuarita Road when his four-door sedan drifted into the median. He then overcorrected, causing the vehicle to roll several times before it came to a rest.
He was pronounced dead at the scene.
Before that, on September 17, a 10-year-old was killed and six were injured on I-19 south of Tucson.
9OYS talked to Officer Raul Molina with the Arizona Dept. of Public Safety to find out if the department is worried about the increasing number of vehicle rollovers.
"They’ve always been a concern," Molina said. "When it comes to injuries, we try to educate the public."
So far this year, 11 people have been killed on I-19 in rollover crashes.
"Inexperienced drivers, such as (those at a) young age (and) those (with) inattention and of course impairment, (are the) biggest factors when we have a collision," he said.
Molina said the accidents can be prevented if drivers would just be more careful.
DPS said it is always pushing public awareness about safety, but the department's efforts are most prominent during the holidays.
Molina said that because of budget cuts, officers can't be at every location along the busy highway and that the bottom line is to let drivers take personal responsibility for their lives.
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