Arizona officials are appealing to the public for help following the disappearance of three South Korean tourists on the road from the Grand Canyon to Las Vegas.
In a post on Facebook, the Coconino County Sheriff’s Office revealed that family members Jiyeon Lee, 33, Taehee Kim, 59, and Junghee Kim, 54, were last seen traveling westbound on Interstate 40 from the Grand Canyon area to Las Vegas on March 13 in a rented white 2024 BMW with California license plates.
Complicating matters is the fact that on the same day they went missing, a fatal multi-car collision occurred near Williams, Arizona, as a result of a winter storm blanketing the road in snow and ice. The collision caused a fire that burned for more than 20 hours.
The accident involved 22 vehicles, including 13 passenger vehicles, and 36 drivers and passengers. There were two fatalities and 16 injured people received medical treatment, but it is unknown if the missing women were involved in the incident. The two fatalities were Arizona residents Juan Beltran Sanchez of Chino Valley and Evelyn Davis of Ganado.
The trio’s rental car GPS data last recorded movement at 3.27 p.m., the same time as the crash, but authorities are still working to identify possible human remains and examine the vehicles for evidence.
The Consulate General of the Republic of Korea is working with the Coconino County Sheriff’s Office to locate the family, and anyone who has had contact with the women since March 13, has knowledge of their whereabouts, or can provide any information that might help authorities is asked to call the Sheriff’s Office.
