Sister remembers Arizona Marine killed in Washington state crash

PHOENIX (3TV/CBS 5) — A two-car crash nearly 1,500 miles away from the Valley is hitting close to home. All six people who were killed were young adults from Arizona. The soul survivor was a 21-year-old from Phoenix. Their families are mourning as they wait to learn more from the police about how this all unfolded.

This deadly crash happened in Tacoma, Washington. Twenty-five-year-old Erick Tsosie was one of six Arizonans that died. We spoke with his sister, who said he was there for a leadership conference and died right alongside his best friend in the car. “He will always be our baby brother, so to think this happened to him is really hard for everyone to grasp,” Carmen Tsosie said.

Erick grew up in northern Arizona on the Navajo Reservation. He was one of seven people in the car that caught fire. “It is a five-seater car, so there were five available seat belts. We don’t know of any seat belt usage at this point. We haven’t been able to confirm that,” officials at the scene said on Monday.

The Washington State Patrol said an SUV struck their car. Video shows the car on its side and on fire. Nearby drivers tried to do whatever they could to help. “It seems like forever when you are waiting for someone to come help you,” a nearby driver, who stepped in to help, said.

All six who died were under 25 years old and all from Arizona. Carmen said her brother’s long-time best friend Felix was also in the car. “They went out there to go to a training, like a leadership conference,” she said.

While going through Erick’s items, Carmen found a note written to Erick from Felix. Part of it reads, “I’m very grateful to be your business partner so we can do great things for our family and friends, along with creating joyful memories.” “I think it’ll be awhile for everyone to realize this is a new reality,” Carmen said.

Erick was a Marine, deployed in Japan and served for four years before returning to Arizona. He had seven siblings and two children, ages 9 and 2 years old. Carmen said he always wanted to provide for his family and had big dreams for his future. “Everyone is trying to be strong and hold it together, but it’s really hard for everyone at the moment,” she said.

Washington State Patrol believes speed was a factor in this crash but is still investigating. In the meantime, Erick’s body is still in Washington. The family has created a GoFundMe to bring him home.

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