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 last week 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 said they do not suspect foul play.
The vehicle's GPS information showed it had been traveling westbound on Interstate 40 around 3:30 p.m. on March 13. That same day, winter weather caused a large multi-vehicle accident on the highway's westbound lanes, the Arizona Department of Public Safety said in a news release. The crash involved 22 vehicles, including 13 passenger vehicles, the department said. There were 36 people involved in the crash in total, the department said. Two people were killed and 16 were injured, the department said.
The family's GPS pinged about a mile away from the site of the crash, authorities said.
The Coconino County Sheriff's Office said it was aware of the crash but does not know if the family's vehicle was involved.
State troopers are still working to identify all the cars involved in the pile-up.
The sheriff's office asked that anyone who has had contact with the family or has knowledge of their whereabouts call the authorities.
