Driver Dies After Single-Vehicle Crash into Canal Near E. County 8th Street

Missael Orozco Leon, 32, of Somerton, drowned after his car veered off E. County 8th Street and entered a canal near S. Avenue 44 E, the Yuma County Sheriff’s Office said. Tri-Valley Fire District personnel attempted life-saving measures but the driver was pronounced dead at the scene.

YCSO’s press release, released Feb. 18 and filed as DR# 2026-12606, said the crash occurred Tuesday, Feb. 17, at approximately 3:49 PM in the area of E. County 8th Street and Avenue 44 E. “The initial investigation indicates a 2006 Mercury Grand Marquis was traveling westbound on County 8th Street when the driver failed to negotiate a curve and veered off the roadway. The vehicle traveled down an embankment and entered a canal,” the release states.

The sheriff’s office said both the driver and a passenger were able to exit the vehicle, but the driver “was swept away by the current and drowned.” Tri-Valley Fire District first responders performed resuscitation efforts on scene before the driver was pronounced deceased. YCSO identified the driver as Missael Orozco Leon, 32, of Somerton, Arizona, and confirmed next of kin notification has been made.

Investigators have listed impairment and speed as suspected factors and said the case remains under investigation. The press release was issued by Public Affairs Specialist Tania Pavlak; the Yuma County Sheriff’s Office assigned the incident record number DR# 2026-12606 for follow-up requests and public records.

Local television reporting by Marcos Icahuate at KYMA corroborated the sheriff’s timeline and identification. Anyone with information about the crash or who witnessed the vehicle before it left County 8th Street is asked to contact the Yuma County Sheriff’s Office at (928) 783-4427 or call the anonymous tip line at 78-CRIME. For reference and follow-up, the press release lists Tania Pavlak as the YCSO contact at (928) 783-4427.