Driver seriously hurt in early morning crash
A 29-year-old man was seriously injured in a single-vehicle crash early Thursday morning when his car crashed in the area of West 24th Street and Avenue B.
Yuma police officers responded to the scene around 2:43 a.m., where they found a Black Lexus that had crashed into the landscaping at the River Park Apartments in the 2500 block of West 24th Street.
“It is believed that the driver was traveling at a high rate of speed and lost control of the vehicle when he crossed Avenue B,” said Sgt. Lori Franklin of the Yuma Police Department.
Firefighters from the Yuma Fire Department arrived shortly after to find the car heavily damaged and resting on its roof. They used hydraulic spreaders and other tools to remove the doors and extricate the driver, who was trapped inside.
The driver, who was the sole occupant of the vehicle, was decontaminated on-site due to gasoline and oil saturation before being transported by ambulance to Yuma Regional Medical Center in serious condition.
He was later flown to a Phoenix-area hospital for further treatment.
Police said speed appears to have been a factor in the crash, though it is not known if impairment was involved.
“It is unknown at this time due to the amount of fluids that leaked from the vehicle,” Franklin said. “A blood test is required to determine if impairment was a factor, so the results will not be available until later.”
The case remains under investigation.
Firefighters also assisted with vehicle stabilization and traffic control while on scene.
Anyone with any information about the crash is asked to contact the YPD at (928) 373-4700 or call 78-CRIME at (928) 782-7463 to remain anonymous.