Former Yuma resident dies in Los Angeles accident

A former Yuma resident was killed in an accident that shut down three lanes of each side of Interstate 405 near Los Angeles International Airport.

Around 5 a.m. Tuesday, a big-rig hauling a large crane in the southbound lanes crashed into the cement center divider and burst into flames. The crane partially overturned, and the trucker was apparently pinned inside the flaming truck cab, said Officer Jose Nunez of the California Highway Patrol. No other vehicles were caught up in the crash.

Three lanes on each side of the freeway were shut down.

The driver was Harold Welch, 54, owner of Interstate Crane Services, located in Arizona, Nevada and Southern California, according to his brother, Larry Welch, of the Phoenix area.

According to Yuma Fire Department spokesman Mike Erfert, Harold Welch was a firefighter with YFD from about 1975 to 1979.

Prior to that, he was a Marine in the crash crew who was stationed in Yuma for over three of his four years in the service, Larry Welch said.

He also belonged to the Day Trippers Motorcycle Club.

"He had many friends in Yuma," said Mike Jones, of Yuma. "We all called him 'More Fun.' "

Jones said he had seen Harold Welch six days before the accident.

"He left town to get into the construction business as a crane operator," Jones said. "He's kinda a 'bigger than life' guy in his family."

Jodee Welch Valdez of Washington, Harold's sister, said he left Yuma at the end of the 1980s, and he opened his company with his son, Jason Welch, 33.

"He trained operators to know how to pass the test to get certified as a crane operator," Valdez said.

"That's a beast of a machine he was moving," Jones said. He said the crane involved in the accident weighed about 80,000 pounds.

The cause of the crash is under investigation.

In addition to the family members who spoke with The Sun, Harold Welch is survived by his daughter, Aynjilee Welch, 22, and his mother, Wanda Welch.

A memorial will be held for Welch all day Saturday at the Day Tripper Ranch, Avenue 3-1/2 E and County 18-1/2 Street.

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Nicole Squibbs can be reached at nsquibbs@yumasun.com or 539-6855.