A councilmember for the Cocopah Indian Tribe in South Yuma County did not survive a two-vehicle collision this past weekend.
Officials with the Yuma County Sheriff's Office said Irwin Twist, 75, of Somerton was a passenger in a Ford F-150 truck when the driver of a Toyota Tacoma failed to stop at a posted blinking stop sign at the intersection of County 14th Street and Avenue C. The driver of the Toyota crashed into the Ford at about 9:10 p.m. Friday.
The driver and two passengers in the Ford were taken to Yuma Regional Medical Center. Twist was pronounced deceased, Sheriff's officials said.
The driver and a second passenger, whose names were not released, sustained serious injuries, officials said. The driver was later flown to a Phoenix-area hospital.
Sheriff's officials say the case remains under investigation. They said impairment and speed appear to be a factor in the collision.
In a released statement, Cocopah Chairwoman Sherry Cordova said "We received devastating news that on the night of June 21, 2024, Mr. Irwin Twist, a member of the Cocopah Tribal Council was a passenger in an auto accident and sadly, he did not survive."
"This is a shock to The Cocopah Tribe, his family and all who knew him. He was a council member with so many plans for the future, a veteran, a family man but most of all a friend. His passing will leave a great void in our community and to all who knew him. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family in this most unexpected senseless loss."
On their organization's Facebook page, the Regional Center for Border Health, which offers health services in Yuma and La Paz counties, called Twist "a longtime friend of RCBH (who) along with (President and CEO Amanda) Aguirre was instrumental in bringing the program “Together With Veterans” to the Cocopah community, the first in the nation to be on a reservation."
"We want to express our deepest condolences to the Twist family during this sad time. Rest in peace, Mr. Twist, you will be greatly missed."
