Off-road crash kills one person in south Yuma County
Deputies say impairment contributed to collision
YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA, KECY) - The Yuma County Sheriff's Office (YCSO) responded to a single-vehicle collision in the area of Avenue D ½ and County 9 ½ Street at about 6:43 p.m.
According to YCSO Public Affairs Specialist Tania Pavlak, "The initial investigation revealed a Polaris UTV was traveling westbound along a farm access road when the driver failed to observe the road ended at a canal."
Pavlak explains that the driver was unable to stop in time and drove across an irrigation canal. This caused the vehicle to collide with the opposite embankment.
Emergency crews reportedly transported all four passengers in the Polaris UTV to the Yuma Regional Medical Center.
"One passenger, identified as Sonya Gomez, 43, of Yuma, AZ, sustained critical injuries and was transported to Yuma Regional Medical Center where she later succumbed to her injuries," shares Pavlak. "Next of kin notification has been made."
She adds that one of the passengers' injuries were so bad, they had to be flown to a Phoenix-area hospital for additional treatment.
Deputies confirm this case is currently under investigation, and impairment does appear to have been a factor.
