Sunday, June 21, 2015, a blue passenger car traveled four miles the wrong way on I-17 about six miles north of Black Canyon City. The vehicle was traveling southbound in the northbound lanes. A Yavapai County Sheriff’s deputy attempted to stop the wrong-way vehicle but was unsuccessful.
A DPS Trooper responding to the call, conducted a rolling traffic break and stopped the vehicle at milepost 243.2. The wrong-way vehicle was involved in two non-injury collisions. Its driver, 39-year-old Damian Ballesteros of Phoenix, was arrested and booked into the Yavapai County Jail on the following charges:
- Aggravated DUI
- Super DUI
- Extreme DUI
- Criminal Open Container
- Endangerment
- Driving on a suspended license.
As Ballesteros traveled the wrong way on I-17, vehicles swerved to avoid him. Ballesteros told troopers he was confused and was talking on the phone when driving wrong way on the Interstate.