Man dead, second driver hospitalized after wrong-way crash near Peoria

PEORIA, AZ (3TV/CBS 5) -- Arizona Department of Public Safety troopers say a man is dead and another driver is in the hospital after a wrong-way crash on the Loop 101 near Peoria late Tuesday night. Troopers say just after 11 p.m., 18-year-old Keith Schanafelt was driving southbound on the Loop 101 near Bell Road when he made a U-turn in the middle of the freeway and crashed into a Nissan Altima.

Schanafelt was taken to the hospital, where he later died. The 22-year-old driver of the Altima was also taken to the hospital with severe injuries.

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Video from the scene showed crews reopening the freeway around 3 a.m. Investigators are still trying to determine what prompted Schanafelt to make a U-turn in the middle of the freeway. The investigation is ongoing.

Editor’s Note: An earlier version of this story indicated that a wrong-way driver was reported in north Phoenix. An updated version clarifies that the crash happened in Peoria.