TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — Broadway at Freeman Road is closed after recent storms severely damaged the pavement, leaving holes, bumps, and warped sections of road that make it unsafe to drive.
The closure is one of many throughout Pima County. The county is asking the community to approach affected areas with caution, obey all traffic control signs, and allow for extra travel time.
Despite the posted closures, drivers have been moving barricades and driving through anyway — something Pima County says is unacceptable.
It is illegal to drive around road closure signage. The Pima County Sheriff's Department (PCSD) said in a statement:
"Individuals who drive around a posted road closure sign may be cited for failure to obey a traffic control device, which is a civil traffic violation. If a driver ignores the closure and becomes stranded, requiring a rescue response, they may also face a citation for reckless driving, which is a misdemeanor offense.
If children are placed in danger as a result of the driver’s actions, additional charges may apply, including felony child abuse or neglect, depending on the circumstances.
Tampering with or moving a road closure sign is not a felony; however, it may constitute a misdemeanor offense.
We encourage the public to respect road closure signs and follow all posted traffic controls to protect their safety and the safety of emergency responders."
Tucson Fire Department (TFD) Deputy Chief of Operations Adam Bower says it already had more swift water rescues than last year
"Since the monsoon started, we've had 10 swifts and then 10 also, motor stranded calls just right now in the short period of time," Bower said.
Around midnight Tuesday, Tucson Fire crews responded to a swift water rescue near Harrison and Escalante. The driver climbed onto the car and crews brought her to safety using the ladder.
"So realize when you're making that conscious decision to travel over water that's over six inches or moving somewhat fast, while it may look harmless to you, you can quickly put yourself in danger and on top of that, you'll be putting your first responders and fire department at danger on there," Bower said.
If you're wondering what six inches looks like Bower said on your body, it's a little bit above your ankle length. He says they are called flash floods for a reason.
"Just because the riverbeds dry and where you're at is currently dry, the mountains can be getting the water and then our dry riverbeds all flow from east to west, and what will be dry in an area you're dry, will have flowing water that's traversed through the dry riverbeds," Bower explained. "So you may have no indications other than paying attention to some of the warnings that are given out through media and social outlets," Bower explained.
Arizona law may require drivers to pay for the cost of a rescue if they intentionally drive around barricades and become stranded in floodwaters. The law is commonly referred to as the Arizona Stupid Motorist Law.
Check out Pima County's road closure updates and flood prone roads before taking off.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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Vanessa Gongora is KGUN 9's Westside reporter.. Vanessa fell in love with storytelling by growing up in sports. She was fascinated by how sports reporters go beyond the x's & o's to tell players' stories, and how sports bring people together, inspiring Vanessa to provide the same impact as a journalist. Share your story ideas and important issues with Vanessa by emailing vanessa.gongora@kgun9.com or by connecting on Facebook, Instagram, and X.
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