DPS trooper risks his life to stop wrong-way driver on US 60

A FOX 10 EXCLUSIVE - MESA, Ariz. -- It's happened again -- another wrong-way driver on a valley freeway -- the same stretch of freeway where Mesa Sgt. Brandon Mendoza was killed during another wrong-way crash in 2014.

Fortunately, a Department of Public Safety trooper was able to stop the driver before anyone got hurt.

"I was definitely in fear of my life, because they're unpredictable. I was also fearing for the safety of the motoring public. Because if he got past me, there's a great chance of him taking someone out," said DPS Trooper Justin Doucet.

Doucet describes what happened early Tuesday morning October 20th when he stopped a wrong-way driver by ramming him with his DPS SUV.

"The total time was about six minutes, but it felt like it was an hour. It felt like an eternity. That's how fast these situations evolve."

The driver was going the wrong way on the U.S. 60 just after midnight. Doucet was on DUI enforcement patrol nearby when he got the call.

"I just wanted to get him stopped and try to get him out of the vehicle as quickly and safely as possible. It was pretty scary being stopped in the HOV lane with my back to traffic.. facing somebody wrong way.. right in the middle of the freeway," explained Doucet.

The trooper was able to bring the driver to a stop without anyone being seriously hurt or killed.

"This is one of those cases where I just happened to be in the right place, right time and the vehicle slowed down enough to where I was able to get directly in front of him to stop him," said Doucet.