Sun, Jul 05, 2009

Tucson Region

2 ATV riders dead after crash

By Alexis Huicochea
arizona daily star
Tucson, Arizona | Published: 02.08.2008
Two Tucson men died after colliding head-on while riding all-terrain vehicles in Pinal County on Saturday morning.
Geronimo Raul Lopez, 26, and a friend were riding on separate quads — four-wheeled ATVs — in the desert near Pinal Air Park when the incident occurred around 11 a.m., according to a report released Thursday.
The friend was following Lopez as he was heading south and saw Lopez and another man, Anthony Richard Eddings, 27, collide as the dirt road turned southeast, the report said.
Both men flew off the quads and collided in the air before landing on their backs on the ground, the friend said.
When a deputy arrived, he saw the two men on the ground near their quads, the report said. The Avra Valley Fire District was on scene providing aid.
The witness estimated that both men were going about 30 mph, the report said. He also said his friend Lopez was wearing a helmet but it flew off in the collision. He said Eddings was not wearing a helmet.
Both men were flown to University Medical Center in critical condition, the report said.
Lopez suffered severe head injuries and was pronounced dead Monday at 11:45 a.m., according to the report.
Eddings was pronounced dead on Tuesday at 9:22 p.m.
● Contact reporter Alexis Huicochea at 629-9412 or ahuicochea@azstarnet.com.