Man Killed In Death Valley Single-Vehicle Rollover Accident

Death Valley National Park (CA)
Man Killed In Single-Vehicle Rollover Accident

An 82-year-old Arizona man died in an unwitnessed single-vehicle rollover accident on the Scotty’s Castle Road on July 28th. An ambulance (Medic 2) from Scotty's Castle, staffed by NPS interpretive and maintenance personnel, arrived on scene within a few minutes of receiving the report and found the man, who’d suffered severe traumatic injuries, still inside his Chevrolet Malibu station wagon. He had no pulse and was not breathing. An AED was employed, but displayed a “no shock” message. Meanwhile, other rangers headed to the scene, including Engine 1 from the Cow Creek Ranger Station. They twice tried an AED, but got the same message. Per protocol, life-saving measures were stopped after the third message indicating no shockable rhythm. California Highway Patrol officers assumed the lead in the investigation; the Inyo County Sheriff’s Office dispatched the county coroner. The man was wearing a seatbelt but had been partially ejected on impact. Although the airbags deployed, the roof of the vehicle collapsed in the rollover. Initial investigation indicates that the man may have suffered some kind of medical episode before the car left the road. There was no evidence of excessive speed, reckless driving or alcohol use.