Wrong-Way Truck Accidents on I-19 Near Green Valley and Sahuarita, AZ, Reported October 29, 2026

A wrong-way pickup truck hauling a camper was involved in multiple crashes on Interstate 19 near Green Valley and Sahuarita, Arizona, according to a report published October 29, 2026. Arizona Department of Public Safety troopers stopped the driver, and the Santa Rita Fire District reported no major injuries.

DPS said the pickup was spotted traveling in the wrong direction on northbound I-19 around 7 a.m. That was the reported sighting time, not a confirmed time for the crashes. Troopers stopped the truck between the Pima Mine Road and Canoa Road exits. Authorities identified the driver as a 75-year-old man.

The man's name was not reported. His license was suspended pending a reexamination. The fire district said its crews responded to multiple crashes. The report of no major injuries did not specify whether anyone had minor injuries or needed treatment.

Motorist Patrick O'Connor also provided dashboard-camera footage of the wrong-way pickup and said he was driving south on I-19 when the pickup passed him near the Sahuarita Road exit.

The incident followed the Arizona Department of Transportation's installation of a wrong-way detection system along I-19 in the summer of 2026. The system, described as the first of its kind in Southern Arizona, operates at multiple locations between Tucson and Nogales. It is intended to notify authorities and warn other motorists when a vehicle is traveling against traffic.

ADOT said a detection triggers an immediate alert to both the transportation agency and DPS. Troopers can then be notified while dispatchers put wrong-way vehicle warnings on nearby electronic signs. Dispatchers also use the agency's closed-circuit freeway cameras to try to locate the vehicle. Those steps are designed to help authorities respond more quickly.

DPS spokesperson Bart Graves described the technology as another resource for responding to wrong-way drivers, which he said are a recurring problem on I-19. ADOT cautioned that the equipment cannot physically prevent a crash. The available report did not establish whether the detection system alerted authorities during this incident.

Graves said the danger can develop in a split second, leaving drivers little time to react when a vehicle approaches from the wrong direction.

Graves advised motorists to use a middle lane where one is available so they have more room to move away from a wrong-way vehicle. He said drivers should then leave the freeway or pull onto the shoulder. Once it is safe, motorists should call 911 and give the dispatcher their location and the last place they saw the wrong-way vehicle. That location information can help troopers find the vehicle.

ADOT also said wrong-way detection technology is being incorporated into the I-10 Kino and Country Club widening project. That separate project is expected to be completed in 2028.

Publication note: Recovery processing for this article began on 2026-11-02. This article was added after the publishing interruption; its archive date, 2026-10-30, represents a missed daily publishing slot. The accident date above describes the incident itself.