A devastating crash on State Route 260 near Heber, Arizona, has claimed four lives, including two young children.
The collision happened at approximately 12:30 p.m. Monday near milepost 300, about four miles west of Heber.
According to authorities, a pickup truck and a black passenger vehicle were involved in a head-on collision. Four people inside the passenger vehicle died as a result of the crash.
The victims were identified as 26-year-old Giovanni Uballe Huerta of Laveen and 26-year-old Kiah Jae Begaye of Mesa. Also killed were a 4-year-old boy and a 2-year-old girl, both from Mesa.
The two children were only beginning their lives, making the tragedy especially heartbreaking for their families and everyone affected by the crash.
The pickup truck was carrying three people from New Mexico. Two passengers, a 14-year-old boy and a 21-year-old woman, suffered serious injuries and were flown to hospitals in the Phoenix area.
The driver of the pickup was identified as 21-year-old Jesse David Lovato of Los Lunas, New Mexico. He was taken into custody and booked into the Navajo County Detention Center in Holbrook.
Lovato faces four counts of manslaughter and two counts of aggravated assault. Authorities have said impairment has not been ruled out, while the Arizona Department of Public Safety Vehicular Crimes Unit continues investigating the crash.
Public records cited by local reporting indicate investigators believe the pickup crossed into the westbound lane before striking the passenger vehicle. Those records also say Lovato told investigators he had fallen asleep while driving and acknowledged smoking marijuana the previous night.
The crash left multiple families facing unimaginable grief. Giovanni and Kiah were both just 26 years old, while the two children had their entire lives ahead of them.
🌹 Four lives were lost in a single moment, leaving behind memories that their families and loved ones will carry forever.
