The first week of June got off to a rocky start on McKinley County roadways, with more than a handful of accidents with injuries. Below is a list of the fender benders that range from a few bumps to critical injuries, reports from the McKinley County Sheriff’s Office. There’s even vehicle vs. pedestrian incidents. However, not all of the accidents that occurred during the first week of the month have been listed here.
June 3: The owner of a tractor-trailer parked in the Golden Corral parking lot found Frank Yazzie, Jr. lying under his rig, with a backpack under his head. The driver called the police, and Lt. Eric Jim responded to the scene.
Yazzie was incoherent, according to the report. When Jim pulled him out from under the semi, he noticed a large laceration on his forehead, and large pool of blood collected on his bag. He could smell the strong odor of booze coming from his breath.
Upon arrival to the hospital, it was noted in the report that Yazzie suffered a broken rib, and two cracked vertebrae. Jim noted in the report that the injuries were consistent to being run over. However, the semi-trailer had no blood on it, with Jim noting in his report that there was no blood on the tires.
Yazzie was flown to UNM in Albuquerque for treatment.
June 7: A serious accident with injuries occurred in the McGaffey area. Deputy Nacona Clark was dispatched to State Highway 400 in response to a rollover crash.
When she arrived at about 4 pm, she found the driver Israel Gallegos, 24, of Thoreau in the driver’s seat, sitting upright with his “legs tangled under him.” He complained of chest pain and that he couldn’t breathe. He was drifting in and out of consciousness.
Passenger Skye Cummins, 18, of Gallup, was ejected from the vehicle and lying on the ground. She complained of abdominal, neck, back and leg pain.
Another passenger, seemingly uninjured, Shinay Begay, 19, of Sundance, N.M. told another deputy that Gallegos consumed a bottle of Importer’s Vodka before they departed from McGaffey Lake.
Gallegos was flown to Albuquerque for treatment, and Begay and Cummins were transported to Gallup for treatment. Clark noted in her report that Cummins sustained critical injuries.
June 8: Thomas Robbins of Texas sustained a bump on the head after he reportedly misjudged a turn at Defiance Draw Road, causing him to overcorrect and drive through a fence line.
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Fifteen-year-old Denisha Tsosie was out for a drive with her two younger siblings when she rolled her mom’s SUV Near Hassler Valley and Superman Canyon roads. Deputy Frank Villa, Jr. noted in his report that she likely took a corner too fast when she rolled the vehicle. Everyone checked out fine, and mom was notified. They were taken to a local hospital for further evaluation.
June 9: A Murrieta Calif. man reportedly on meth, or some kind of speed, was parked on the shoulder when he ran on foot across the I-40 to the median. To witnesses horror, he covered his face and ran back into traffic and was hit by a vehicle. Other drivers stopped and moved him off the roadway. According to Deputy Merlin Benally’s report, he sustained injuries to this arms, head and right shoulder. At a local hospital, the man told Benally that he was hearing voices and the paranoia got the best of him. He told Benally that a friend put something in his drink that would help keep him awake for the long drive. He was let go with a warning.
June 10: As Ernest Begay made his way across State Highway 118, near mile post 16, he was struck by a vehicle. According to Deputy Roxanne King’s report, the force of the impact caused “him to fly thru the air.”
Begay told King that the driver, a man in his 20s, about 5’10” with a slender build, and dressed in an Applebee’s uniform asked if he was okay. When he said yes, the man got back into his blue-grey passenger vehicle, and reportedly drove off.
So, King made her way back to Gallup Applebee’s where she spoke to shift manager Gerald Harper. King got the feeling that Harper didn’t want to assist her with the investigation. He refused to fully step outside, and when she gave a description of the driver, he replied, “that could be anybody.” When she asked him what employees had ended their shift in the last half hour, he replied with a “mmmm,” the report states.
King point blank asked Harper if he was going to assist with her investigation, and he replied, “no” and walked back into the business.
