3 family members missing after leaving Grand Canyon and driving through winter storm
Police in Arizona are searching for three family members who were last seen driving together in mid-March after visiting the Grand Canyon.
Jiyeon Lee, 23, Taehee Kim, 69, and Junghee Kim, 64, were traveling together in a rented white 2024 BMW with the California license plate 9KHN768, the Coconino County Sheriff's Office said on social media. Deputies in Arizona told "CBS Saturday Morning" that the three were mother, daughter and aunt. The South Korean family was driving from the Grand Canyon area to Las Vegas, the sheriff's office said.
Deputies have said that they do not suspect foul play in the family's disappearance.
The vehicle's GPS information showed it had been traveling westbound on I-40 at around 3:30 p.m. on March 13. That same day, winter weather caused a fiery multi-vehicle pileup on the highway's westbound lanes, according to the Arizona Department of Public Safety.
The family's GPS pinged about a mile away from the crash site, officials said. The crash involved 22 vehicles, including 13 passenger vehicles, the department of public safety said. There were 36 people involved in the crash. At least two people were killed, and 16 were injured, according to the department.
The Arizona Department of Public Safety and Coconino County Sheriff's Office said in a joint statement on Monday that more human remains were found at the crash site. They also said that one of the vehicles involved in the crash was identified as a BMW SUV.
"All agencies involved are actively working together to determine whether the remains are those of the South Korean nationals believed to have gone missing in the area at the time of the collision," the agencies said in the statement, adding that an intense, long-lasting fire at the crash site has "posed significant challenges for identification efforts."
The sheriff's office asked that anyone who has had contact with the family or has knowledge of their whereabouts call the authorities.
The Korean consulate in Los Angeles told CBS News that it was aware of the situation and would provide its full support "if the investigative authorities request cooperation regarding this matter."
