One killed, four hurt in car accident this morning

One person was killed and four others were injured in a vehicle rollover accident on County 17½ Street and Somerton Avenue early Friday morning.

According to Robby Rodriguez, spokesman for the Somerton/Cocopah Fire Department, the accident happened at about 5:20 a.m. As SCFD units approached the scene, they were waved down by one of the victims of the accident.

Rodriguez said the victim told firefighters that he was one of five people who had been riding in the car, but he didn't know where anyone else was.

The car rolled several times and came to rest on its roof in an onion field that was being irrigated.

The first team of SCFD firefighters located the vehicle and searched it, but didn't find anyone inside. The victims had all been ejected from the vehicle. The firefighters then began searching the field on the north side of the vehicle, where they found two of the victims, one about 50 feet away from the crash site, while the other was about 100 feet away.

While SCFD paramedics were treating those victims and preparing them to be transported to the hospital, an engine company from Marine Corps Air Station Yuma arrived on scene and went into the field to assist Somerton medics.

Moments later, the first Rural Metro medics arrived, and began helping prepare patients for transport.

A second team of SCFD firefighters found another victim lying in the roadway of Somerton Avenue, approximately 100 feet from the vehicle wreckage.

This SCFD team was then split into two teams and continued into the onion fields, which were extremely muddy, eventually locating the deceased victim about 75 feet from the wreckage.

Rodriguez said paramedics placed a heart monitor on the victim in attempt to detect resistive rhythms in his heart, but couldn't get any. An ER physician who was in contact with SCFD paramedics pronounced the victim dead at the scene.

The last victim of the accident was found by paramedics from the San Luis, Ariz., Fire Department about 100 feet from the wreckage, who also treated him.

All four victims were transported to Yuma Regional Medical Center by Rural Metro and Somerton/Cocopah ambulances with possible life-threatening injuries.

Rodriguez added that firefighters continued to make sure there were no other victims and searched the rest of the field with the help of deputies from the Yuma County Sheriff's Office, using the thermal imaging cameras. An AIR EVAC helicopter also scanned the area with its spot light.

Rodriguez added the area where the accident happened has long been a concern to SCFD and that they have tried to get a four-way red light system installed there since the last fatal accident that happened on Jan. 25, 2008.

James Gilbert can be reached at jgilbert@yumasun.com or 539-6854.