AZ DPS investigating seven fatal collisions in state since Saturday

Monday, July 23, 2012

Arizona Department of Public Safety investigates seven fatal collisions statewide since Saturday

None of the collisions appear to be weather related

On Saturday, July 21,  at 8:32 a.m., there was a five vehicle fatal collision that occurred in the eastbound lanes of State Route 101 at milepost 19.7.  Vehicle #1, a black Acura, struck the rear of Vehicle #2, a Red Chevrolet, which caused a chain reaction collision in which the rider of a motorcycle, Dallas G. Langham, 76, was struck and killed.

On Saturday, July 21, at 3 p.m., there was a cross-over fatal collision.  Vehicle#1, a GMC truck, was southbound on Interstate 17 at milepost 230.7 (near Anthem) in the #2 lane when it sustained a tire failure.  The driver of the GMC truck lost control of the vehicle and crossed the median into the northbound lanes of I-17 colliding with a Ford pickup truck.  The collision caused the GMC truck to roll over and both occupants were ejected.  A third vehicle struck the GMC truck.  Anthony Ghigo, 59, of Phoenix, was deceased on scene. Mr. Ghigo was a passenger in the Ford truck.

On Saturday, July 21,  at 5:24 p.m., there was a fatal collision on U.S. 180 near Springerville. A Chevrolet sedan was traveling westbound on U.S. 180 when, for an unknown reason, the vehicle went off right and overcorrected.  The vehicle went across U.S. 180 and rolled off the eastbound side of the road. The passenger, James A. Nelson, 32, was pronounced deceased at White Mountain Community Hospital.

On Saturday, July 21,  at 7:59 p.m., there was a fatal collision on Interstate 40.  A Mazda passenger vehicle was eastbound when, for an unknown reason, it collided with the guardrail. The vehicle then vaulted 40 feet straight down and landed on its top directly onto the train track. The vehicle was then struck by a train.  We believe both occupants were deceased prior to being struck by the train.  Nika Dawkins St. Claire, 62 (driver) of Oakland, California and Savannah Kaitlin Dawkins, 27 of San Leandro, California were both deceased on scene.

On Sunday, July 22,  at 12:57 a.m., a van carrying 12 passengers was eastbound on Interstate 40 near Holbrook when the rear tire tread separated.  The driver lost control causing the vehicle to leave the roadway and roll.  Ovilho Perez-Ortiz, 30, of Guatemala and Audias Deleon Gonzalez, 18, of Mexico were both deceased on-scene. The driver fled on foot. The remaining 10 passengers were not injured.  ICE is investigating this incident.

On Sunday, July 22,  at 3:30 p.m., a Sedan driven by Harvey Young, 87, of Ontario, Oregon was eastbound in the westbound lanes of Interstate 40 near Kingman when it was struck head-on by other vehicles attempting to pass a commercial vehicle.  Harvey Young was deceased on-scene.  His passenger, 73-year-old Clara A. Young, was pronounced deceased at Sunrise Medical Center in Las Vegas.

On Sunday, July 22,  at 4 p.m., a Chevrolet pickup truck was westbound on State Route 78 near the New Mexico state line when, for an unknown reason, the vehicle traveled off the road and down an embankment.  The passenger in the pickup truck, James Damron, 61, of Duncan, Arizona was deceased on-scene.