Truck driver describes deadly dust storm; haunted by death of infant

Two men involved in the massive deadly pile-up on Interstate 10 on Sunday made an emotional return to the scene near Lordsburg, not far from the Arizona-New Mexico border.

They were traveling to Los Angeles in a semitruck when they got caught in the dust storm.

In a matter of seconds the trip turned deadly.

Nestor Cintra said the dust storm blinded him and dozens of other drivers.

“Everything happened so fast, so fast,” Cintra said. “One crash led to another, and another.”

In the end 25 cars were involved in the 1-10 pileup. Six people were killed.

“I stopped the truck and got out. Then someone hit my truck from behind and pushed it forward. I took off running fearing the truck would burst into flames because there was a lot of diesel around,” Nestor said.

Cintra’s semi slammed into another vehicle carrying a family from Phoenix.

Jose and Susana Caraveo and their 9-month-old daughter Julissa died.

The passenger in Cintra’s truck was sleeping when the vehicles started crashing into each other. He said the dust was so thick he couldn’t see the hand in front of his face.

“Police went driver to driver asking what happened. I saw when they brought the little girl out. They quickly tried to help her but there was not time. She was already dead,” the passenger said.

The two men returned to the scene of the horrific crash and found what little was left of their semitruck. They spotted what looked like part of a blue door.

They found something else that brought both to tears. A little black shoe belonging to Julissa.

“As you see the shoe from the 9-month-old baby is still there. Is was very impactful for anyone,” Cintra said.

Cintra was not hurt in the crash. His passenger managed to walk away with only cuts and bruises.

While both are thankful to God to be alive, neither are happy.

“I can’t be happy because there were so many lives that were lost including a little girl. I can’t be happy,” Cintra said.

The images he knows may haunt him long down the road.

The Arizona Republic newspaper reported the couple was killed just one day before their wedding anniversary.
They were on their way home from a family member’s wedding at the time of the crash.

Six people, including two from El Paso, died in the crash involving semitrucks, vehicles and motorcycles. It is not yet known exactly how many were injured.

The El Pasoans killed in the wreck were identified as 77-year-old Jose Manuel Clemente and 38-year-old Maurella Clemente Muñoz.

The California resident was identified as 47-year-old Josefina Silva, of Escondido.

The accident is still under investigation.