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OLJATO-MONUMENT VALLEY — On the morning of May 26, Carlotta and Gary Harrison, along with four of their grandchildren, were traveling on U.S. Route 160 in Tsegi, Arizona, when they were hit head-on by an alleged drunken driver killing all but one child who remains in the hospital for her injuries.
This tragic accident impacted not only the Harrison family, but also the Navajo community in which the family lived, and members of the trail and ultrarunning community whom the family had worked with for years making jewelry, awards and Navajo tacos for a popular race series.
Since 2014, Carlotta and Gary Harrison, as well as many members of the Harrison family, have served runners and supporters at all of the Grand Circle Trail Series/ Ultra Adventures events and were on their way to do so at the Grand Canyon Ultras when the accident occurred.
Race director Matt Gunn was hit particularly hard when he heard the news and said that the Harrisons were an integral part of not only the race series but also the community in which they lived, as well as the trail and ultrarunning community whom they served.
“If you have ever participated as a runner, volunteer, or spectator at an Ultra Adventures event, you most likely have met the family selling jewelry and Navajo tacos,” Gunn wrote on a fundraising page* he set up for the family. “They have been an integral part of our team since the first Monument Valley event, where they greeted each finisher with a handmade necklace and a warm Navajo taco.
"Thousands of runners lives have been touched by the handmade jewelry pieces that they made with love and pride. Carlotta was a dearly loved and respected matriarch and her soft-spoken husband Gary was always by her side. She was a friend to us, and we will miss her and her family dearly. The tightly-knit Monument Valley community is devastated by this loss and as is a tradition in these situations, is rallying to support the surviving family members.”
In an interview with KSL.com, Gunn spoke about meeting Carlotta and Gary Harris in 2014 when he was looking for people within the local community to make awards for his new trail series.
“I met them at their jewelry stand in Monument Valley,” he said. “I was looking for someone to make awards and wanted to help the local community because I knew of the high unemployment rate on the reservation. Many people make and sell jewelry as a means to support their families, but there was something about Carlotta and Gary; they were both soft spoken and not pressuring. I offered to pay them more than what they originally asked for because I knew right away that they would be a good fit.”
Race participant and photographer, Matthew Van Horn, had several interactions with the Harrisons, and added the following comment on his Facebook page after learning of their death:
“I am saddened by the loss of Carlotta and Gary Harrison and their boys,” he wrote. “I expected to see them year after year. Carlotta had a name for me after I turned my lens to her while she sat in a tent making fry bread for everyone at the races. She and the boys called me ‘Cameraman’ because I featured their beautiful faces in a short video of the 2015 Monument Valley event.
"I am drawn to soft-spoken people who do not seek the spotlight, who are genuine and without guile or vanity, who are as smart and as strong and as aware as anyone else, but who don't feel the need to promote themselves endlessly. I love the quiet people. I did look forward to seeing Carlotta and Gary and the boys at UA events. They recognized me. They had a name for me. I wish I would have taken the time to take proper portraits of them. They deserved recognition.”
While many at the races saw the quiet, happy side of the Harrison family, Gunn also saw how they educated people about their culture while at the races.
“Carlotta and her family were really nice people,” Gunn continued. “The races were a chance for them to travel and get out and see these areas that were part of their traditional grounds of their ancestors. They liked getting out and educating people. They will be dearly missed.”
After the accident, the community met with family members to discuss the needs of the family. According to Gunn who has been speaking for the family, a $25,000 amount was determined carefully, based on what Social Security will cover and the remaining balance needed to cover funeral costs and other expenses. As of Thursday afternoon, more than $20,000 has been raised by donors from all 50 states and six continents.
Funeral services will be held Saturday at 10 a.m. at the Monument Valley High School gym.
*KSL.com does not assure that the money deposited to the account will be applied for the benefit of the persons named as beneficiaries. If you are considering a deposit to the account, you should consult your own advisers and otherwise proceed at your own risk.
