Three killed in head-on car crash

Three killed in head-on car crash

December 11, 2001

By Aspen C. Emmett
Journal Staff Writer

Three Cortez residents, including a 1-year-old girl, were killed in a two-car crash Saturday evening near the Four Corners Monument.

Wilson Jones, 44, of Aneth, Utah, is accused of driving drunk and causing the collision that took the lives of 20-year-old Rufus Cayaditto, 19-year-old LaTanyia Begay and 1-year-old Jasmyne Yazzie.

All three died on impact, according to the State Patrol.

Jones, who was partially ejected from his Ford Bronco II, was transported to Southwest Memorial Hospital and then later to Northern Navajo Medical Center in Shiprock, N.M., according to the Colorado State Patrol, which responded to the accident and assisted in the investigation.

Jones’ condition was unavailable as of press time Monday afternoon.

The Bureau of Indian Affairs was the primary agency responding to the crash; however, there were no BIA officials available for comment Monday.

Cayaditto, who was driving a four-door Dodge sedan, and his passengers, Begay and Yazzie, were eastbound on U.S. Highway 160 three miles into Colorado when Jones reportedly crossed into their lane, according to the state patrol.

Cayaditto did attempt to brake but was unable to avoid Jones’ vehicle, which was nearly off the east side of the road at the time of impact.

They hit passenger side to passenger side in the eastbound lane, the state patrol said. The impact took place about a foot from the eastbound shoulder line.

The Dodge spun 180 degrees and came to rest facing west in the middle of the roadway. The Bronco II went airborne for approximately 60 feet rolling a quarter-turn in the air and landing on the driver’s-side front corner. After hitting the ground, the Bronco bounced into the air and rolled another 1 1/4 turns, coming to a rest on its top, according to the state patrol.

"He (Jones) had a higher-profile vehicle and he basically went over the top of the Dodge and that’s what threw him into the air," said one trooper who had been at the scene.

Jones was not wearing a seat belt and was partially ejected from the vehicle.

"He was hanging half way out of the vehicle when the EMTs got there," the trooper said.

The three victims were also not wearing seat belts and a child-safety seat was in the back seat unused.

Although airbags did deploy in Cayaditto’s vehicle, the trooper said, the impact of the wreck would likely have killed the three regardless.

"It was one of those crashes that, if they were wearing a seat belt, there was a possibility one of them might have survived. But that would have been a big if — the severity of the impact was that bad," the trooper said.

"The top half of the car was ripped off on the passenger side — the passenger side of the vehicle was practically gone."

According to the state patrol, the roads were dry at the time of the accident and the speeds of the vehicles were unknown.

Funeral services for the victims are pending.