On Thursday, February 16, 2023, at approximately 7:26 p.m., Arizona Department of Public Safety (AZDPS) troopers responded to reports of a single-vehicle collision on Interstate 10 eastbound at Casa Blanca Road (milepost 175) in Sacaton.  
 
Upon arrival, troopers determined the driver of a 1989 Ford pickup truck was traveling eastbound on Interstate 10 when he lost control of the vehicle. The pickup truck rolled over, ejecting the driver. The driver was transported to a hospital with life-threatening injuries. 

During the subsequent collision investigation and vehicle inventory, troopers discovered numerous packages of pills concealed throughout the truck. In total, troopers seized approximately 286 pounds of suspected fentanyl pills - or approximately 1,297,000 pills - from the vehicle.  

The estimated street value of the fentanyl seized is approximately $5.1 million. 

According to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, four out of every ten pills laced with fentanyl contain at least 2 milligrams of the synthetic opioid, a potentially lethal dose. Based on those figures, there was enough fentanyl in this seizure to potentially kill more than half a million people.

In an unrelated incident on the same day, AZDPS troopers administered Narcan to a woman suspected of overdosing on fentanyl following a traffic stop on U.S. Route 93 in Congress. Congress Fire Department responded to the scene and helped administer a second dose of Narcan. The woman was transported by the fire department and airlifted to a hospital.

Unfortunately, incidents like this are an all-too-common occurrence for law enforcement agencies in Arizona and across the country. AZDPS troopers will continue working hard every day to combat the illegal smuggling and distribution of drugs such as fentanyl, undoubtedly saving many lives in the process.