GOLDEN VALLEY – Two Kingman men have been arrested following a traffic fatality in Golden Valley. The Mohave County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO) reports the two-vehicle collision occurred at about 6:12 a.m on May 2 in the area of W. Shinarump Drive and S. Apache Road.
“The investigation revealed that a Hyundai SUV was traveling west bound on Shinarump Dr. when a Chevrolet pickup truck traveling east bound on Shinarump Dr. crossed the center line and struck the Hyundai head on,” said MCSO public information officer Anita Mortensen. “The truck was found to have been traveling at a high rate of speed.”
Mortensen said Marian Merk, 61, Golden Valley, was dead at the scene after she was extricated from her SUV. The men in the pickup fled the scene on foot.
An extensive search for the subjects saw the pickup truck passenger located hiding under a bush north of the crash site.
Brandon Tosh, 30, was taken into custody and jailed for warrant-related assault and disorderly conduct charges. He was also charged with hindering prosecution for providing false information to investigators.
The pickup truck driver, Maximiliano Chavez, 29, was arrested the next day after asking for water at a residence in the 3800 block of W. Bolsa Drive. He was treated for minor injuries and booked into the Adult Detention Facility for second degree murder.
Mortensen said Chavez admitted he was out all night drinking and was returning from Laughlin and driving in excess of 70 miles an hour before the crash.
