Arizona man killed in single-car crash in southern Utah Friday

A 49-year-old man from Arizona was killed in a single-vehicle crash near Mexican Hat, in San Juan County, on Friday, troopers say.

A 49-year-old man from Arizona was killed in a single-vehicle crash near Mexican Hat, in San Juan County, on Friday, troopers say. (Utah Highway Patrol)


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MEXICAN HAT, San Juan County — An Arizona man was killed and two children were severely injured in a single-vehicle crash near Mexican Hat on Friday, state troopers said.

The Utah Highway Patrol on Wednesday identified the driver as 49-year-old Joel Ashike from Kaibito, Arizona.

A black Kia Optima was traveling north on state Route 163 around 1:56 p.m., when the driver failed to navigate a 90-degree curve after crossing the Jason R. Workman Memorial Bridge over the San Juan River, according to UHP.

The Optima hit a cliff wall, killing the driver and severely injuring two passengers; a 14-year-old girl and 9-year-old boy, who were both flown from the scene for medical care at a hospital.

Investigators have not released the names of the two children, or provided an update on their condition.

Correction: An earlier version of this article incorrectly referred to the James R. Workman Memorial Bridge. The correct name is the Jason R. Workman Memorial Bridge.

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Bridger Beal-Cvetko covers Utah politics, Salt Lake County communities and breaking news for KSL.com. He is a graduate of Utah Valley University.

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