By James Gilbert
The Sun
YUMA, Ariz. — The five victims injured in single-vehicle rollover accident Friday morning in the desert near the city of San Luis, one of whom had to be rescued using the Jaws of Life, are all Department of Corrections employees.
Two of the five patients were in critical condition and flown to specialty hospitals in the Phoenix area. One of the men has been listed as being in critical but stable condition while the other man is in a coma and listed as stable, but not responsive.
According to Andrew Wilder, Arizona Department of Corrections director of communications, the men are all employed as corrections officers at the Arizona State Prison Complex–Yuma, were all off-duty at the time of the accident, and in a personally-owned vehicle.
The crash happened at about 4 a.m. around 10th Avenue near Juan Sanchez Boulevard, with firefighters and officers from the San Luis Police and Fire Departments responding to the location for a report of a single-vehicle rollover accident.
When officers and firefighters arrived on scene they found a 2001 white extended cab Chevrolet pickup, which had rolled three times, upside down. The front-seat passenger, who was wearing his seat belt, was still trapped inside.
The area, which is fairly close to the city limits, is a place where people commonly go off-roading.
The driver and three other occupants were outside of the truck, with one of those passengers lying on the ground unable to move. Those who were already outside the pickup had injuries ranging from bruises to neck and back pain.
All five patients were initially transported to Yuma Regional Medical Center by San Luis and Somerton/Cocopah ambulances. The extrication process took approximately 45 minutes and CPR was performed on the trapped passenger all the way to the hospital.
Tadeo De la Hoya, police administrator for the San Luis Police Department, said the names of the victims involved in the accident are not being released. Wilder said the DOC would not be releasing the names of the victims as well.
De la Hoya also said the case is under investigation, and alcohol appears to have been a factor in the incident. The department is waiting toxicology results of the driver of the vehicle before moving forward with any possible charges.
Anyone with information is asked to contact the San Luis Police Department at (928) 341-2420.