Maricopa-Casa Grande Highway is completely shut down both ways after the second major crash on that road since about 3 p.m. today.

Maricopa Police Department responded to the multi-vehicle crash just east of Russell Road, in a southeastern enclave of Maricopa near the airport, at 4:30 p.m. Maricopa Fire and Medical Department brought a fire battalion chief, Engine 572 and two ambulances. Casa Grande and Coolidge police also responded.

Both ambulances were running lights and sirens when they left the scene around 5 p.m., headed toward Maricopa. The ambulances were apparently loaded.

It appears a white pickup truck hauling a trailer had collided with a black Nissan passenger van. Both vehicles had spun out and were facing the wrong way. Airbags were deployed in the van, and the truck's tire was flattened.

The wheels had come off the trailer, and a massive amount of debris littered the roadway as miles-long queues of vehicles piled up in both directions.

Police officers at 5:08 p.m. were measuring the distance from the train tracks to the crash site. An officer at the scene did not give further details.

Traffic was still at a total dead stop at 5:30 p.m. when tow trucks arrived. Congestion toward Maricopa was backed up more than a mile. Most drivers bound for Casa Grande were making a U-turn back to Maricopa, and vice-versa.

InMaricopa has contacted the authorities with questions about the cause of the crash, the nature and severity of the injuries and if someone died.