A crash just south of Maricopa Road on State Route 347 caused southbound traffic to back up at least 2 miles as rush hour began this afternoon.

A spokesperson for the Arizona Department of Public Safety said a collision occurred around 4:30 p.m. between three vehicles, blocking the left lanes in both directions near the Huhugam Heritage Center. Authorities have not confirmed what led to the crash or whether any injuries were reported.

Witnesses at the scene said a gray Ford Escape was nearly tipped onto its left side in a median ditch, while a black Chevrolet Impala appeared to have plunged nearly nose-first into the median after sustaining heavy rear-end damage. The third vehicle involved has not been confirmed.

At 5:30 p.m., an Arizona Department of Transportation spokesperson told I

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