File Photo
By Jon Johnson
TONOPAH – A Phoenix woman has been charged in a July 2 fatal three-vehicle collision on Interstate 10 near Tonopah that killed six and injured five more.
According to a release from the Arizona Department of Public Safety (DPS), Iyona Holton, 35, of Phoenix, was arrested and booked into the Maricopa County Jail on four counts of aggravated assault – Class-2 felonies, and one count each of possession of a dangerous drug, and possession of drug paraphernalia – Class-6 felonies.
Holton was driving a GMC Envoy westbound on I-10 on Friday, July 2, at about 1:20 p.m. when she and a Nissan Altima drove into and through the dirt median, a marked “No U-Turn” zone, to turn around onto eastbound I-10. When doing so, both vehicles were struck by an eastbound commercial tractor-trailer.
Holton and her four passengers were taken to a nearby hospital for treatment of serious injuries. Upon her release from the hospital on Thursday, July 8, Holton was arrested and booked into jail.
The driver of the Nissan, Natisha Nicole Moffett, 35, of Phoenix, and her five passengers were all killed in the collision and were declared deceased at the scene.
The incident is still under investigation by DPS.