A father and son were killed in a collision on the Loop 202 South Mountain Freeway near Elliot Road around 6:30 p.m. on last Friday. The pair was attempting to refuel their stalled truck when they were struck by a female Tesla driver. The father, Albert Tabaha Sr., and his son, Calbert Tabaha, were pronounced dead at the scene, according to Live5News.
The Arizona Department of Public Safety is investigating the incident. The Tesla driver remained at the scene and was not impaired, said Bart Graves of the Arizona Department of Public Safety.
The Tabaha family was planning to celebrate the senior Tabaha's 77th birthday but is now preparing for a joint funeral. "We're a tight-knit family. Now this Christmas, there's gonna be two less," said Delbert Tabaha in a statement to FOX 10 Phoenix.
Delbert Tabaha told FOX 10 Phoenix, "Down deep, I knew he was gone, but I had to check, and I did, and he was already, no response, no nothing," in reference to his brother. He urged drivers to learn the state's move-over law, which requires them to either change lanes or slow down when passing a vehicle with flashing lights. "You're not gonna get a trophy or anything or first prize for being there first, no. See, the person who hit my dad and my brother forever changed our lives. For what?" he said. He also expressed gratitude toward a truck driver who protected the accident scene until authorities arrived.
The Tabahas plan to bring Albert Sr. and Calbert to their final resting place on the Navajo reservation.
