Man killed in rollover accident in desert near Somerton

One man is dead following a rollover accident in a desert area near Somerton in which alcohol may have been a contributing factor.

Spokesman Alfonso Zavala said at about 8:09 p.m. on Sunday night, deputies from the Yuma County Sheriff's Office responded to the area of County 19th Street and Avenue D in reference to a report of a single-vehicle accident involving injuries.

Zavala said the investigation revealed that a white 2009 Chevrolet pickup was eastbound on a dirt access road in the desert area south of County 19th Street when it struck a utility pole and overturned."They were traveling at a high rate of speed," Zavala said. "That area is Bureau of Land Management land where people gather for joyriding in the desert."

When firefighters from the Somerton/Cocopah Fire Department arrived, they found a full-size four-door pickup that had crashed into a Yuma County Water Users utility pole. The force of the collision ripped off the driver-side rear panel of the truck bed and damaged the pole.

The driver of the vehicle has been identified as 24-years-old Ruben Jacuinde of Somerton. There were also two passengers in the vehicle: Alexis Duran, 18, and Fernando Guerrero, 18, both of Somerton.Zavala said Duran was partially ejected from the vehicle and was pronounced deceased at the scene.