Last Saturday's big storm in the Phoenix area made for dangerous driving conditions on Arizona highways. According to reports, the intense rain was so out of the ordinary that it caused 69 cars on Interstate 10 to lose control and crash.

The multiple-car accident led to Phoenix officials closing down a westbound area of I-10 for almost four hours, and many of the drivers involved in the car accidents were stuck at the scene for that extent of time. Another source of transportation had to be arranged for drivers because of the various collisions.

According to sources, the crash was sparked at about 6:30 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 28, when one car on the highway lost control of his or her vehicle due to the downpour. And the storm literally created a slippery slope, where one out-of-control car led to the downfall of other drivers on the specific stretch of wet road.

The road conditions due to the monsoon were compromised, and that means that drivers should have been exercising more caution that evening instead of driving as usual. A representative from the Arizona Department of Public Safety reminds drivers that in certain weather-related circumstances, drivers have to slow down and be even more careful to put enough distance between them and the cars in front of them.

In the case of last week's 69-car crash, what started with one driver losing control of his or her car, ended in 69 out-of-control vehicles -- a Phoenix record. Experts suggest that if the cars had left more space in front of them and driven more slowly, then some of the crashes could have been avoided because drivers would have had more time to stop without slipping and crashing.

No one suffered a critical personal injury in any of the crashes; only seven people had to seek hospital treatment for minor reasons.

msnbc.com: 69 vehicles crash in surprise Arizona thunderstorm (8/29/2010)