According to PCSD, a 2021 Kia Soul traveling southbound drifted into the northbound side and crashed head-on with an oncoming 2018 Chrysler Pacifica
Tucson, AZ.- Two people were killed in a multi-vehicle accident on South Nogales Highway near Tucson on Thursday evening, according to the Pima County Sheriff’s Department.
The incident was reported at about 6:10 p.m. December 11, in the southbound lanes of the highway near milepost 53.
According to PCSD, a 2021 Kia Soul traveling southbound drifted into the northbound side and crashed head-on with an oncoming 2018 Chrysler Pacifica.
A 2020 C-HR traveling south was also involved in the accident while a northbound driver in a 2023 Ford F650 successfully avoided impact.
The driver of the Kia, Robert Reid, 56, was not wearing a seatbelt and was pronounced deceased at the scene. A passenger in the Kia, Lizette Reid, 61, was wearing her seatbelt and was transported to a hospital, where she later succumbed to her injuries.
The Chrysler driver was transported to a hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
No other injuries were reported in the accident.
The Pima County Sheriff’s Department is still working to determine the cause of the pile-up.
Arizona experienced a slight decline in traffic incidents over the past two years, though crash fatalities remain high. In 2023, the state reported 122,247 total motor-vehicle crashes with 1,307 deaths, while 2024 saw a small decrease to 121,107 crashes and 1,228 fatalities, representing a 6.1% drop in deaths compared with the previous year. Despite the modest improvement, the number of serious injuries and fatalities remains near historically high levels, highlighting ongoing road safety challenges. Speeding, impaired driving, and failure to use safety devices continue to be major contributing factors in fatal and serious crashes across the state. Emergency response efforts and public safety campaigns aim to reduce these risks, but Arizona’s highways and urban roads continue to see a significant number of severe accidents annually.
If you have lost a loved one in a Tucson accident, you can learn more about your options by visiting our wrongful death attorney page.