A four-vehicle crash on Ajo Way near Three Points late Sunday left one person dead and a 68-year-old driver facing a second-degree murder charge. Arizona DPS said the man was driving a Chevy Silverado westbound when he rear-ended a pickup towing a trailer, sending it careening into oncoming traffic, where it was struck by another vehicle carrying four people who were not wearing seatbelts.
According to KOLD, the crash happened late Sunday, Nov. 8, on Ajo Way near Three Points. DPS said the Silverado rear-ended a pickup towing a trailer, and the impact pushed the truck and trailer into the eastbound lanes, where they were struck by a Chevy Avalanche carrying four people. None of the four occupants of the Avalanche was wearing a seatbelt, according to DPS.
KOLD identifies the victim as 40-year-old Ashley Jones, who died from his injuries at the scene; its account uses male pronouns.
Charges and Booking Details
Troopers arrested the Silverado's driver, identified as 68-year-old Ronald Clay Widener, per the same KOLD account. He is facing charges of second-degree murder and DUI. Arizona's statute covering second-degree murder, 13-1104, is classified as a Class 1 felony, according to a table published by the Arizona Legislature.
As of Monday, Nov. 9, Widener was being held on a $500,000 bond, the station's report states. A fourth vehicle also struck the detached trailer during the crash on Ajo Way.
Road Closed for Hours During Investigation
Ajo Way was closed for around eight hours while troopers investigated and emergency crews cleared the wreckage, the same account notes. Troopers investigated during the closure.
Ajo Way, also known as Ajo Highway, has seen other serious crashes in recent years. A separate head-on crash at milepost 161 on West Ajo Way left one person dead after a driver went westbound against eastbound traffic and struck a vehicle carrying an adult and two children, according to KGUN9. A rollover crash near Ajo Highway and San Joaquin Road also killed a driver one Monday morning, as reported by azcentral.com.
