State officials confirmed Wednesday that three families who survived a winter storm in Arizona earlier this month have gone missing after a trip from the Grand Canyon.
According to a flyer for missing persons from the Coconino County Sheriff’s Office Facebook PageJi-young Lee, Taehee Kim, and Jung-gi Kim were last known for traveling on holiday from the Grand Canyon area to Las Vegas on 2024 BMW rental on March 13th.
Flyer says the car’s GPS last recorded on Interstate 40 at 3:27pm
There was a massive multivehicle incident on Interstate 40 (I-40) that day, and it was reported that the family’s GPS recorded the last recording, but police say it is unclear if they were involved in the collision.
Pile-up, 22 vehicles and 36 drivers and passengers involvedtwo people have been killed and 16 people have been injured, the Arizona Department of Public Safety (ADPS) said in a statement, with the Jackknife trailer leaving the area completely blocked.
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“Several vehicles, including additional tractor trailers, were unable to properly brake, slow or collide with blocking vehicles. Multiple passenger vehicles pushed them at the rear end and, in some cases, crashed the tractor trailer,” the statement continued.
Neither of the two recorded deaths were members of the missing family.
The collision caused fires that spread across multiple vehicles and burned for 20 hours.
Smoke rises from a fire caused by 22 vehicles westbound on I-40 on March 13, 2025 (Arizona Department of Public Safety).
Arizona Public Safety Bureau
The ADP added that the road was covered in ice and snow at the time of the collision.
According to NBC News, Coconino County Sheriff’s Office detectives assigned to the family case said in a call Friday that there was no additional information authorities would share.
Similarly, the ADP said it would not share details until the investigation is completed, encouraging drivers to check road conditions before travelling.
Anyone with information is encouraged to contact the Coconino County Sheriff’s Office.
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