A drunk wrong-way driver has taken the life of 50 year-old Cindy Lee Meade
On Tuesday July 4 at 2:36 p.m., Arizona troopers began to receive multiple reports of a wrong-way driver, a red SUV traveling northbound in the southbound lanes of I-17 near milepost 242. The wrong way vehicle caused several collisions in the area as a result.
One of those collisions involved a motorcycle and the rider of that motorcycle, Cindy Lee Meade, age 50, was declared deceased on scene. I-17 was closed southbound at M.P. 244 on I-17 with traffic exiting at Black Canyon City.
The driver of the wrong way vehicle, Darroll Wayne Roberts is in custody and the investigation is still in its early stages.
The suspect was booked into the Yavapai County Jail on a charge of DUI/Vehicular Homicide.
Delays were long in the area and the interstate was closed for several hours for investigation. Also used was the alternate route of SR 169 to SR 69 to SR 89 to US 60 or SR 260 to SR 87. The roadway re-opened southbound at around 7:45 p.m.