Six Arizonans, including a retired Tucson anesthesiologist and two of his family members, were killed Sunday in a head-on collision on the highway from Sonoyta to Rocky Point in Mexico.
Dr. Ronald W. Yakaitis was traveling with his wife, sister and father en route to Rocky Point — known in Mexico as Puerto Peñasco — when their Chevrolet Suburban was struck head-on by a Nissan Titan driven by Jose Calderón Fernandez, 25, of Casa Grande.
Calderón was headed north when he "attempted to pass in a caution zone," said Duty Officer Jesus Carrillo Encinas of Mexico's Federal Highway Police in Sonoyta, Sonora. "That's when the Titan struck the Suburban head-on. We're not certain who was driving the Suburban, because several people were ejected."
A report from the Puerto Peñasco Police Department said Yakaitis, 65, his wife, Carroll Ann Yakaitis, 62, and his father, Frank William Yakaitis, 94, were dead at the scene.
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Calderón, the Nissan's driver, and Rogelio Angel Marrufo, 27, of Eloy were transported to a Rocky Point medical clinic for treatment. Marrufo was later pronounced dead at the clinic. Two other passengers, Jaquelin Tapia and Edward Tapia, both 21, whose hometown was not known, also died at the scene.
Cathey Rusing, a nurse from Prescott, was returning from a vacation in Rocky Point when she came upon the wreck, which had recently occurred.
One dead person was trapped inside the Suburban. Rusing, her physician husband and six teenagers helped the survivor, Dr. Yaikaitis' sister, who was alert and talking but in need of immediate medical care.
"We didn't know if she was going to make it," Rusing said. "She needed to get an OR (operating room) quick."
Christine Yakaitis-Wills is recovering in Tucson, said Stephen Yakaitis, Dr. Yakaitis' son.
Rusing said three people were crushed inside the Nissan, and the female passenger died while passers-by were trying to help her get out. The driver was alert and able to move. "We're medical people, but five dead in an accident is amazing," Rusing said.
Initial indications are that Calderón is at fault in the accident, Officer Carrillo Encinas said. The case has been referred to the Federal Prosecutor's Office and the Federal Highway Police for investigation.
Calderón's mother, Noemi Fernandez of Casa Grande, said that her son has said that he began his attempt to pass in a passing zone but was prevented from doing so by the driver of another vehicle who also prevented him from returning to his lane to avoid the collision.
Dr. Yakaitis earned his medical degree from the University of Maryland in 1967 and retired from his practice three years ago, according to a newsletter from the Medical Alumni Association of the University of Maryland. He was president of the Arizona Society of Anesthesiologists.
Dr. James Angiulo joined the University of Arizona medical faculty in 1975, the same time Yakaitis did, and the pair left two years later to start the anesthesiology department at Kino Community Hospital.
"He always had a very broad smile and a welcoming approach to people," said Angiulo, now a justice of the peace.
Carroll Yakaitis graduated from Rincon High School and the UA. She was the head trauma nurse at Tucson Medical Center when by chance she met her future husband, who was practicing at TMC as part of his internship in Phoenix, their son said.
Dr. Yakaitis was a talented musician who spent his younger years playing piano and composing music, even playing professionally with his father in Baltimore before choosing a medical career, said Dr. Charles Otto, a UA anesthesiologist and longtime friend. The elder Yakaitis, whose wife died earlier this year, worked for the city of Baltimore and played saxophone in the Debonairs, an orchestra he led, before retiring in Tucson about the time his son started practicing medicine here.
The elder Yakaitis was resilient, living on his own and in good health, said Stephen Yakaitis, who sipped tequila and enjoyed a good cigar for his grandfather's 94th birthday.
"I got cheated. My grandfather was 94, and I should have had 30 more years of my dad fixing the world's problems. Shakespeare couldn't have done it much more tragic," Stephen Yakaitis said.
The Yakaitises owned a place in Rocky Point that they'd been building onto for years, creating a multistory beach house for frequent vacations, said Angiulo, who had visited there.
Angiulo said Dr. Yakaitis was sought out for his competence, his compassion and his ability to put patients at ease.
"He was specifically requested to give anesthesia to many physicians and physicians' families, including my family. He was one of the highest-quality docs in town," Angiulo said. "We in the business know who to ask for. There's no higher compliment you could give to a physician than to ask for them to care for your family."
Dr. Yakaitis and his wife are survived by their son Stephen, granddaughter Lauren and daughter Lisa. A Tucson service is pending, likely next week, and a memorial will be held in Sonora's Cholla Bay in October.
