12 News reported that Interstate 40 near Kingman reopened after a crash involving power lines. According to that report, the Arizona Department of Public Safety is investigating a single-car crash, and no injuries were reported. No one has been found at fault for anything, and the investigation is described as ongoing.
A single-vehicle crash is not automatically a case without a claim. Arizona law treats the driver of a car as responsible to passengers, so anyone riding in a vehicle that leaves the roadway may have a claim against that driver's liability coverage, which is separate from the driver's own collision coverage. A claim may also exist against someone other than the driver: another motorist who forced an evasive maneuver and left, a repair shop or parts manufacturer whose work failed, or a government entity responsible for a dangerous road condition. Most Arizona injury claims must be filed within two years under A.R.S. § 12-542, but a claim against a city, county, or state agency requires a written notice of claim within 180 days of the event under A.R.S. § 12-821.01, and that shorter deadline is unforgiving. Arizona also applies pure comparative fault under A.R.S. § 12-2505, so partial responsibility reduces recovery rather than barring it.
Downed Lines Change What You Should Do at the Scene
When a crash involves utility infrastructure, the safest move is usually to stay inside the vehicle until utility crews or troopers say the area is clear. Lines on the ground can remain energized, and the ground around them can carry current. If fire or fuel forces you out, the standard guidance is to jump clear without touching the car and the ground at the same time, then shuffle away with small steps and feet close together. Do not try to move a line, and do not let bystanders approach to help.
Once the scene is secure, get the incident number from the investigating agency. That number is how you or an attorney later request the report, which matters even when no one is hurt that day, because symptoms from a highway-speed impact sometimes surface a day or two later. If another vehicle was involved and left, note that Arizona imposes a duty to stop and exchange information under A.R.S. § 28-661.
Why "No Injuries Reported" Is Not the End of the Analysis
An initial report reflects what responders could see at the scene. Soft tissue injuries, concussions, and back injuries frequently are not obvious in the first hour, and adrenaline masks pain. Getting checked the same week does two things: it protects your health, and it creates a medical record tied in time to the collision. Insurance adjusters routinely argue that a gap between a crash and a first medical visit means the injury came from something else.
Property and economic losses also survive a "no injuries" report. A vehicle may be a total loss, a tow and storage bill accrues quickly, and a utility company may seek payment for damaged equipment. Those demands should be routed through your insurer rather than answered directly, and you are not required to give a recorded statement to another party's insurance company before you understand your own coverage.
Deadlines and Evidence That Disappear Fast
Two deadlines govern most Arizona claims: the two-year limitations period in A.R.S. § 12-542, and the 180-day notice of claim requirement in A.R.S. § 12-821.01 when a public entity or public employee is a potential defendant. The notice of claim has strict content requirements, including a specific sum that would settle the matter, and courts enforce it rigidly.
Evidence moves faster than either deadline. Highway debris is cleared within hours. Vehicles are repaired or sold for salvage, which destroys the chance to inspect a tire, steering component, or airbag module. Dashcam and nearby business camera footage is frequently overwritten within days or weeks. If there is any question about why a vehicle left the roadway, the vehicle should be preserved and a written preservation request should go out quickly.
If you were involved in this incident or another collision in Mohave County, you can read more about how these claims work on our Arizona car accident representation page.