The Pinal County Sheriff’s Office is investigating a car accident that took the lives Durrell Smith, Joyce McNeil, and James McNeil on Monday afternoon in the area of Sunland Gin Road and North Bataglia.
According to the Pinal County Sheriff’s Office, the investigation revealed that the 26-year old Smith, the driver of a Mercury sedan, was heading southbound on Sunland Gin Road when his vehicle traveled left of the center lane, crashing head on into a Ford SUV with Mr. and Mrs. McNeil inside.
Smith and 83-year-old Joyce McNeil were pronounced dead at the scene. Mr. McNeil, age 83, the driver of the SUV, was airlifted to the hospital and later pronounced dead at the hospital.
The Pinal County Sheriff’s Office reports that the “accident is still under investigation, although investigators ruled impairment out as a factor. None of individuals involved were wearing a seat belt, which was found to be a contributing factor in their deaths.”