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Despite Arizona officials warning people about safety around water, fireworks and driving ahead of the Fourth of July, the state saw a number of accidents and tragedies over the long weekend.
According to the Arizona Department of Public Safety, the pandemic curtailed holiday traffic during the July 4th weekend in 2020.
This year, however, it s highly probable the collisions coincided with increased traffic levels caused by more people driving, department spokesperson Bart Graves said in a statement.
Traffic stops on highways up from last year
Statewide, there were a total of 8,270 traffic stops made from July 2 to July 4, according to the Arizona Governor s Office of Highway Safety. This is up from last year s total of 5,240 traffic stops from July 3 to July 5, but not at the 2019 level of 15,174.
MCSO: Man drowns while swimming at Salt River on July 4th abc15.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from abc15.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
UpdatedMon, Mar 1, 2021 at 10:11 am MT
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A massive fire broke out under the 7th Street Bridge over the Salt River Sunday morning, the Phoenix Fire Department said. (Patch News Partner/Shutterstock)
PHOENIX, AZ The 7th Street Bridge in Phoenix will be closed for several months after a gas line break led to a massive fire, city officials said.
The fire broke out under the bridge around 4 a.m. Sunday when a gas line broke near 7th Street and University Drive. Witnesses reported that flames were up to 20 or 30 feet high, according to Arizona s Family. The fire was contained by 6 a.m. and no firefighters or citizens were injured in the process, the city of Phoenix said in a news release.