One dead, three injured in ATV crash
A tragic head-on collision between two ATVs early Wednesday afternoon ended horrifically with one person dead and three others injured.
Joseph Borjon, 14, of Safford was driving one of the ATVs in the desert west of Eighth Avenue between 26th Street and Discovery Park Boulevard with two passengers, Jose Castro, 13, and Justin Lopez, 14, both of Safford, when his ATV and an ATV driven by Lopez's father, Dale Lopez, 35, of Safford violently collided.
Safford Police officer Wade Sanders encountered Dale Lopez giving CPR to Borjon at the scene. Sanders replaced Lopez, who was succumbing to his own injuries, and performed CPR until the paramedics arrived and relieved him. Borjon was flown to University Medical Center in Tucson before being pronounced dead from severe head and chest trauma.
Jose Castro and Dale Lopez were also flown to UMC for head trauma injuries. Castro is listed in critical condition, and Lopez is more stable and is in serious condition.
Justin Lopez was taken to Mount Graham Regional Medical Center by Southwest Ambulance but was discharged from the emergency room and was never admitted.
According to the police, none of the riders were wearing helmets or any safety equipment.
Officer Sanders said while none of the riders were able to tell police what happened, the damage from the two vehicles clearly show the impact of a head-on collision.
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