A man in his late 60s was killed Sunday morning after his vehicle crossed into oncoming traffic and collided head-on with a semitrailer on a west Phoenix roadway, police said. The Phoenix Police Department identified the victim as 68-year-old Marshall Craig Davis. The crash occurred near the intersection of 71st Avenue and Buckeye Road just before 11 a.m., officials reported.
According to investigators, Davis’s vehicle drifted into the opposing lane and struck one of two semitrailers traveling in the other direction. The force of that initial collision drove the first semitrailer into a second trailer, sending the second rig off the roadway. Emergency crews at the scene described a multi-vehicle incident in which a passenger vehicle and two large commercial trailers were involved.
Firefighters arrived and pulled Davis from his vehicle. He was pronounced dead at the scene, authorities said. Both semitrailer drivers remained at the location and were not injured in the crash, the Phoenix Police Department confirmed. There were no immediate reports of injuries to occupants of either commercial vehicle beyond that confirmation.
Police SUV and a heavily damaged gray SUV amid debris at the scene of a fatal head-on crash with a semitrailer on a west Phoenix road; investigators on site.
Investigators from the Phoenix Police Vehicular Crimes Unit have taken over the inquiry into the collision. Police said determining what caused Davis to cross into oncoming traffic is part of an ongoing probe. No further details about contributing factors — such as mechanical trouble, medical emergency, road conditions or other circumstances — were released while the unit continues its work.
The crash scene drew first responders from multiple agencies who worked on vehicle recovery and on-scene examination. Officers and investigators documented the site and conducted preliminary measures to secure evidence, with towing and cleanup operations following once investigators completed their initial work. Officials have not released a timeline for when the roadway was cleared or reopened to traffic.
Police confirmed both commercial drivers remained at the scene to speak with investigators and that they were not physically harmed. Beyond those statements, authorities have not disclosed additional identifying information about the semitrailer drivers or further details about the trailers involved. The Phoenix Police Department did not announce any immediate arrests or citations stemming from the incident.
The family of the deceased and further personal details about Marshall Craig Davis were not provided in the police release. The Vehicular Crimes Unit continues to investigate the circumstances of the collision and has said the cause of the vehicle drifting into oncoming lanes remains under review. No estimated timeline for releasing the full investigative findings was given by officials.
Authorities asked anyone with information relevant to the crash, or anyone who witnessed the events near 71st Avenue and Buckeye Road around 11 a.m. Sunday, to contact the Phoenix Police Department. The department’s Vehicular Crimes Unit will lead the effort to determine factors that contributed to the deadly collision as the investigation proceeds.
Phoenix police said the crash occurred on July 5, 2026, at about 10:30 a.m.; Buckeye Road was closed in both directions for several hours while investigators worked, and drivers were asked to avoid the area and use alternate routes.