Wellton motorcyclist killed in two-vehicle crash
An 18-year-old Wellton man was killed early Friday evening when his motorcycle collided with a pickup at the intersection of County 3rd Street and Avenue 40E.
Austin Fred Vaughan was pronounced deceased at the scene. He was riding a yellow 2006 Suzuki RM-Z540 motorcycle.
According to Capt. Eben Bratcher of the Yuma County Sheriff's Office, the accident happened at approximately 5:32 p.m. when Vaughan's motorcycle collided with a white 2011 Ford F-250, three-quarter-ton pickup being driven by 64-year-old Luis Zacarias Lopez, also of Wellton.
Bratcher said Lopez's pickup was traveling eastbound on County 3rd Street while Vaughan was headed southbound on Avenue 40E. The initial investigation revealed that the Suzuki motorcycle failed to yield at the intersection.
As a result, the Suzuki motorcycle struck the Ford pickup on the left passenger side. Both vehicles came to rest on the roadway of eastbound County 3rd Street.
Lopez and the three passengers in his vehicle were not injured.
The cause of the collision is still under investigation; however, alcohol does not appear to be a factor.
James Gilbert can be reached at jgilbert@yumasun.com or 539-6854. Find him on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/YSJamesGilbert or on Twitter @YSJamesGilbert.
