FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. – Six Coconino County employees were involved in a collision and some had to be extricated with the Jaws of Life.
Emergency crews responded to a report of a single vehicle collision Tuesday just after 4 p.m. in the area of Townsend Winona Road and Rain Valley Road.
There were six passengers on board the SUV when the driver somehow left the roadway and struck a tree.
When crews arrived on scene, they found four occupants trapped in the SUV and had to use the Jaws of Life to get them out of the wreckage.
Deputies believe all six onboard are employees of the Coconino County Rural Environmental Corps (CREC).
The group had rented an SUV and was returning from Leupp, Arizona where they conducted some type of energy efficiency work on homes.
All six victims were taken to the Flagstaff Medical Center by helicopter.
One person has been released and the other five remain hospitalized ranging in conditions from observation to critical. The occupants’ ages range from 20 to 35 years old and are from Flagstaff, Pennsylvania, Nevada and Michigan.
“The news of this accident is devastating for all of at the county. These six CREC crew members are all vibrant, young people who are enthusiastic, wonderful employees who care deeply for the work they do and for the environment we live in,” Steve Peru, Coconino County manager, said. “Our hearts and prayers go out to them and their loved ones and we wish them all a full and speedy recovery.”
The investigation into what caused the collision continues.
