Mulies

       After my morning walk I set off for Phoenix (again!). Early enough for traffic to be moderately light. Until I encountered a queue of traffic on one of the remaining narrow two-way sections of SR260 coming in to Starr Valley and Payson. I checked AZ511 for road conditions. There was an accident or rather a road traffic collision (RTC in British parlance). Many factors contribute to RTCs: weather, road surface, mechanical failure, and the main one - driver error. Two (or more) vehicles trying to occupy the same space at the same time doesn't work. There was no traffic passing from the other direction indicating the road was blocked in both directions. The incident was reported within half an hour before I joined the queue of traffic. The vehicle behind me turned around and I followed suite as I was getting desperate for a pit stop (euphemism for I needed to pee) which I usually make in Payson; so I went back up the Mogollon Rim to relieve myself at a forest service pit-pot. After that I saw traffic was moving in both directions again and changed my mind again and continued to Phoenix without further incident.

       I didn't learn from the morning journey to check road conditions and I didn't believe the 'road closed' on the overhead gantry in Payson because there have been numerous road works causing delays along that stretch of SR260. I joined the queue of traffic near the top of the climb up the Mogollon Rim. I again (after the fact) checked AZ511 - another RTC reported at about noon; it was now 16:00 (4pm).  A recovery vehicle overtook the line of traffic; and about an hour and three miles later I passed the scene of the RTC. The recovery vehicle was manoeuvering a pick up truck from off the side of the road. There was a badly damaged small blue SUV a little further, and further still an unrecognizable mangled mess . . .

Needless to say I didn't get home in time for choir practise  . . .