Arizona authorities have arrested a woman in connection with a fiery crash that killed five children and an adult on I-10 earlier this month.
On Thursday, July 8, 35 year old Iyona Holton was arrested and booked into the booked into the Maricopa County Jail on multiple charges, including four counts of Aggravated Assault, one count of Possession of Dangerous Drugs, and one count of Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, according to a news release from the Arizona Department of Public Safety (DPS).
The charges were issued as a result of a fiery three vehicle crash that occurred on July 2 on I-10 near Tonopah.
According to Arizona DPS, “Investigators determined the two passenger vehicles, a GMC Envoy and a Nissan Altima, were initially traveling westbound on I-10. Both vehicles drove into and through the dirt median, a marked “No U-Turn” zone, in order to turn around and travel eastbound on I-10. As the GMC and Nissan vehicles entered the eastbound travel lanes, they were struck by a commercial tractor-trailer.”
The force of the crash “split the Nissan passenger vehicle in half,” Arizona DPS said.
Holton was driving the GMC Envoy at the time of the crash, authorities say.
The driver of the Nissan, later identified as 35 year old Phoenix resident Natisha Nicole Moffett, died in the crash along with all five passengers in the car, who ranged in age from 17 to 5.
Holton and her four passengers were all transported to the hospital for treatment of serious injuries.
The truck driver wasn’t hurt.