Fatal accident leads to 69 closure

Courier/Nathaniel Kastelic Prescott Valley Police, Department of Public Safety and Yavapai County Sheriff¹s officers investigate the wreckage of a two-vehicle accident on Highway 69 near Fain Road that resulted in three deaths late Sunday afternoon in Prescott Valley. Authorities closed the highway westbound at Fain Road for several hours.

By DAVID HIRIGOYEN

Originally Published: February 20, 2006 4 a.m.

PRESCOTT VALLEY Three people died at the scene of a car accident on Highway 69 late Sunday afternoon between Mendecino Drive and Fain Road.

The crash occurred at approximately 4:30 p.m. It involved a Chrysler Sebring convertible with a male driver and a Toyota pickup with a male driver and female passenger, Prescott Valley Police Cmdr. Laura Molinaro said. She identified the victim in the Se-bring as Reyes Lopez-Lopez, 28, of Prescott. She said the pickup's driver was Jewell W. Watson, 69, and the passenger was his wife, Betty Jean Watson, 68, both of Cordes Lakes.

Molinaro said that, according to witnesses, the Sebring was eastbound from Prescott Valley at a high rate of speed and weaving in and out of traffic. Witnesses told police that the driver lost control, crossed the centerline and spun out. Molinaro said a "T-bone" impact occurred on the passenger side of the Sebring.

Authorities did not remove the bodies from either vehicle until police could finish marking and measuring the scene, Molinaro said.

Police halted traffic for several hours on westbound 69 at Fain Road with one lane of traffic moving slowly eastbound.

The Department of Public Safety and the Yavapai County Sheriff's Office assisted Prescott Valley Police on scene. Central Yavapai Fire District and LifeLine Ambulance Service also responded.