One person is dead and one is in critical condition after their vehicle collided with a cement mixer on Williamson Valley Road just north of the intersection with Pioneer Parkway.
According to the Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office, three vehicles were involved – two passenger cars and a cement mixer. One of the cars was stopped northbound at the light at Pioneer Parkway in the left lane and proceeded when the light turned green. Another northbound vehicle tried to pass the first using the lane-ending right lane, which forced the driver to merge into the left lane, causing him to strike the first vehicle. This collision caused the second vehicle to spin into the southbound lane, directly in front of an oncoming cement mixer truck.
The driver of the cement mixer attempted to avoid the vehicle but could not, which caused the now severely damaged car to careen into a dirt shoulder, and the cement mixer to impact a guard rail.
The driver of the “overtaking” vehicle which spun and was struck by the mixer was flown to Honor Deer Valley in critical condition. His wife who was riding in the front passenger seat was transported from the scene but unfortunately died enroute to the hospital.
YCSO deputies arrived on scene to conduct a preliminary investigation, with several witnesses verifying that the driver of the cement mixer had no opportunity to avoid the crash. Impairment does not appear to be a factor with the “overtaken” vehicle driver or the cement truck driver.