January 26, 2024

Thursday’s winter weather caused a fatal crash on State Route 87, just north of Highway 260, after an elderly Happy Jack resident collided with a snowplow.

According to the Arizona Department of Public Safety, 85-year-old Elfryda Dybisz was driving northbound during the snowstorm around 3:00pm, when her vehicle started to slide. It drifted across the center line, right into the path of a southbound plow. Dybisz was pronounced deceased at the scene.

This was the second fatal weather-related collision in northern Arizona within a few hours, as a 13-year-old died after a crash on I-17 near Munds Park around noon.

Investigators say one vehicle hydroplaned on the wet road, causing the driver to lose control. A second vehicle then collided with the side of the car where the boy was seated.

Josh Freeman | KAZM News Director | josh@mellowmountainradio.com