Overview
- A head‑on crash on State Route 260 near Heber on Labor Day killed a young couple, 26‑year‑olds Giovanni Uballe Huerta and Kiah Begaye, and their sons, 4‑year‑old Dakota and 2‑year‑old Malakai.
- Law enforcement says 21‑year‑old Jesse Lovato admitted he fell asleep at the wheel and has been charged with manslaughter in the collision.
- Two other people were taken to Phoenix hospitals with serious injuries after the crash.
- Friends and family are gathering in Mesa while funeral plans remain pending and a GoFundMe has been set up to help cover mounting burial and funeral costs.
- The crash highlights safety risks on long rural stretches of SR 260 where driver fatigue is a recurring concern and the case will move through local courts as investigators and prosecutors review the evidence.