This browser does not support the Video element.
Loved ones honor legacy of family killed in crash
Relatives of Kiah Begaye and Gio Uballe Huerta share memories and seek support for burial costs after a fatal crash that killed them and their children. FOX 10's Nicole Krasean reports.
NAVAJO COUNTY, Ariz. - Loved ones are speaking out after an Arizona family of four was killed in a head-on crash this Labor Day.
What we know:
State troopers say a New Mexico man fell asleep at the wheel, causing the head-on crash on Highway 260 near Heber-Overgaard. He is now facing manslaughter charges for reportedly killing the couple and their two young sons.
Kiah Begaye, Giovanni Uballe Huerta and their two sons were traveling back from visiting Begaye's grandparents when this tragedy happened. She was set to teach her first sewing class to young girls at a local nonprofit that evening.
Four killed, two hurt in head-on crash on Highway 260 near Heber
Four people, including two young children, died in a head-on crash on Highway 260 in Navajo County on Sept. 7. A New Mexico man was arrested on suspicion of manslaughter as detectives investigate impairment.
What they're saying:
Loved ones want to remember them not for how they died, but for how they lived.
"It's hard enough losing one person. We lost four at one time," said Veronica Uballe, Gio's mother.
Loved ones of Begaye and Uballe Huerta say the pair were high school sweethearts and a perfect match.
"She guided him and took him on adventures that he would have never done before and vice versa, you know, he provided the love that she needed," said Chrissy Kaibetoney, Kiah's mother.
"They had this connection, it was obvious, you could see it, and just the way that they would joke and play with the kids," Veronica said.
Those kids — 4-year-old Dakota and 2-year-old Malakai — completed the little family unit and were the apple of their grandparents' eyes.
Loved ones reflect on the lives of Kiah Begaye, Gio Uballe Huerta, and their two young children, after they were killed in a crash near Heber on Labor Day 2026.
"Malakai loved monster trucks. Kota loved Hot Wheels, Spider-Man," Uballe said.
"I would have to sneak out of the house because they always wanted to go home with me. I just couldn't imagine any better grandkids than them," Kaibetoney said.
Begaye's mother and aunt tell FOX 10 she was about to start teaching sewing and other crafting classes to young girls at the Black Girl Brown Girl Collective, and was so excited to give back to the next generation.
"Everything that she did, she just brought it to life. She was very loving, and it showed in everything that she did. She's one of those people you wish there's more of in this world, and it's sad that she had to leave," said Latonia Kaibetoney, Kiah's aunt.
Remembering Their Legacy:
As they navigate their grief, these families say they are choosing to focus on an enduring legacy of love they believe continues beyond death.
"Something that comforts me knowing that this happened, the way that it did, is a majority of us take this journey by ourselves alone. She's there with her soulmate and the two little ones that they created," Latonia Kaibetoney said.
The families are now facing the overwhelming task of not only saying goodbye to their four loved ones, but also paying for their burials. There is a GoFundMe set up to help with those mounting costs.
This browser does not support the GoFundMe element.