On a stretch of Highway 77 where two lanes funnel into one at Oracle Junction, the morning rush can feel like a gamble. Cars jockey for position, impatient drivers cut in, and a sudden swerve could send a vehicle rolling off the asphalt. For daily commuter Ariana Allen, the drive is more than a routine—it’s a test of patience and vigilance.
“I feel like everybody’s in a rush to go,” Allen explained. “Over there in Oracle Junction, it’s two lanes and it turns into one, and everybody’s crammed up. I feel like a lot of accidents can happen right there—like nobody’s patient.”
Highway 77, stretching from rural southeastern Arizona through Oro Valley into Tucson, has seen a troubling rise in crashes this fall due to driver fatigue, speed, and poor judgment when passing as primary contributors to collisions…