Payson Roundup

Two people were seriously injured Wednesday afternoon in a rollover on Highway 87 near Sunflower and a motorcyclist escaped injury in a separate incident farther down the highway.

Around 1 p.m., Department of Public Safety officers responded to milepost 213 where a full size pickup pulling a 30-foot enclosed trailer had rolled into the center median, said Robert Lee Bailey, DPS media relations officer.

Sgt. Terry Lincoln with DPS, said when the truck and trailer rolled, the trailer blew apart, sending debris everywhere in the median.

“The trailer totally came apart,” she said.

The driver, not from the area, reported that he lost control and the truck rolled. The man and a female passenger sustained serious injuries and were flown to a Valley hospital.

The southbound high-speed lane was closed for a mile while responders helped the victims and removed the wreckage from the median.

The right lane remained open until the left lane was reopened three to four hours later. Northbound lanes were not restricted, Bailey said.

Several hours later, a 19-year-old motorcyclist from Gilbert was flown to a Valley hospital after hitting a median wall.

The accident happened around 6 p.m. near milepost 224 on Highway 87. The teen reportedly lost control of the bike in a turn, struck the median divide and went down.

The man, who was wearing a helmet, was flown to a hospital where he was treated and released, Lincoln said.

Neither driver is expected to be cited, she said.