Authorities in Arizona say a wrong-way crash over the weekend killed five people, including a young family.
According to the Arizona Department of Public Safety, the crash happened around 2 a.m. Saturday on U.S. 93 near White Hills, roughly 40 miles north of Kingman.
Troopers said a suspected drunk motorist was driving north in a southbound lane when his Jeep collided with a Hyundai station waggon.
The truck caught fire, killing everyone inside.
Ryan Yonts, who resides in California, said he found out that his best buddy, Jason Ortiz, his wife, and child were killed in the Hyundai.
According to Yonts, Ortiz was travelling in the station waggon with his wife, Madeleine, and their small daughter, Jennilee.
Yonts remembers Ortiz as a kind father who he will miss greatly. “He was a very kind guy. “He was simply amazing and a hard worker,” he remarked.
Authorities did not immediately name the alleged DUI driver or his passenger, who also died in the crash.
Unfortunately, Saturday’s crash is part of a growing trend, according to troopers.
Last year, from January to May, there were five disastrous wrong-way crashes, killing seven individuals. This year has seen four deadly wrong-way crashes, with eight people killed.
According to DPS spokeswoman Bart Graves, impairment played a role in virtually all of this year’s fatal wrong-way crashes.
“I just wish that [people] wouldn’t drink and drive,” she remarked. “It’s very devastating. I don’t think many people realise the consequences of their actions until after they occur.”
Reference: 5 people, including young couple and child, killed in wrong-way crash with suspected DUI driver