Parker Live News from the Parker Strip since 2009.
A man is seriously injured and undergoing multiple surgeries in a Phoenix hospital after an accident on Highway 95 north of Parker that also killed another driver and seriously injured a passenger.
Rocky and Maria Rhodes, a retired couple who have lived in Lake Havasu City for well over a decade, were involved in the head-on collision, according to their son Mario.
They were heading northbound on Saturday night in their Toyota when a Hyundai vehicle driven by Andrew Snook, 61, moved into their lane near River Island State Park and hit them head-on. Snook died at the scene. The Rhodes’ car rolled five times, according to Mario’s girlfriend Luwana writing on GoFundMe, and Rocky was “either ejected or may have crawled out of the car.”
They were flown to hospital in Phoenix, where Rocky was admitted to the ICU in serious condition and is now undergoing the first of many surgeries, with the expectation that he will be in recovery for many months.
“My mom fared the best,” Mario told Parker Live. “But my dad’s in pretty serious condition, and they had a friend in the car with them who’s in serious condition too.”
Mario said his father has internal bleeding, which caused surgery to be postponed from yesterday to today.
“Today they’re going to address the surgery that they wanted to do on his back, he also has a shattered ankle, broken ribs, punctured lung, possibly some other things too. He’s sedated right now so he hasn’t been awake, they say he’s going to be at least two more weeks in ICU.”
Rocky and Maria Rhodes
The couple, who have been married for almost 50 years, has had water damage in their house that they had been trying to address, living in a local hotel for the past two weeks while they oversaw work on the house. Mario is now trying to coordinate that activity so that his mother will have a place to move back into.
“They’re a great couple,” he said. “Loved by a lot of people, they have a very active social life and this is hitting everybody pretty hard. They love motorcycles and being in Havasu. They’re very happy. There’ll be a lot of logistics while we try to figure out how to handle accommodations in Phoenix and travel and that sort of thing.”
Meanwhile, the family of the driver who died in the accident are reacting to the news with sadness. Andrew’s brother Michael, speaking to Parker Live while in town to settle some of his brother’s affairs, said he feels terribly about what happened.
“On behalf of the family, we want to apologize to the innocent people that my brother hurt,” he said. “Nobody deserves what happened and we feel very ashamed. We care about everybody. We’ll miss our brother but innocent people were hurt and it’s terrible.”
Michael said that Andrew was a military veteran who moved out to the river from Southern California after years of visiting with the family since they were young.
Mario said he too felt bad about the loss of life.
“It’s very unfortunate that the other driver perished in this,” he said.
The Arizona Department of Public Safety is handling the investigation.
A GoFundMe page to benefit the Rhodes set up by Luwana can be found HERE.
For all you people who think you’re invincible, you’re NOT!! Stop hurting innocent people!! ????????
Thanks for posting KLPZ
Tragic
MORE PASSING LANES OR TURN OUTS ARE A MUST. I traveled this for 9 years daily from Havasu to Quartzsite and back to Havasu and I have seen horrible things due to the poor planning and lack of proper traffic accommodations by ADOT. I hope someday ADOT pulls their heads out of their behind and makes the safe appropriate changes needed to save lives. Best wishes to the families involved.
This is absolutely heartbreaking. Thoughts and prayers to all and praying for successful recoveries.
People are in such a hurry on that road! Scares me every time I’m on it! I never pass nor do I let my husband pass other cars.. but it’s the ones behind you or in front of you that will pass and get you killed ????
Why does it say Andrew Snook? Kelly was the driver who hit them head on wasn’t it? ????????♂️ Maybe Andrew is his legal name?
Sorry for your loss and speedy recovery for the couple who are hurting ????
no t says andrew snook
He goes by the name of Kelly then
It was Kelly
Ryan Crook this is that accident you saw on the way home Saturday ????
Very busy road!!! I’m on it a lot also!!
Our Kelly??
Andrew Kelly Snook is his legal name.
STOP DRINKING! PERIOD!
Andrew Kelly Snook is his legal name. He was my father. I am at a loss for words, I wish a speedy recovery to the injured.
That was his legal name Marc Kasaboski
How about don’t drive drunk and shit like this won’t happen! Can’t do anything about the roads, but you certainly don’t need to drink and drive!
Let this be a lesson for others about drinking and driving..
I seen it! TY. Mike ( Kelly’s brother is beside himself) he’s so concerned for these innocent victims. Feel so bad for everyone
????
Our prayers are with the families
I don’t know what to say. He was my ex husband 28 years ago. I’m so sad that there are innocent victims and praying for a full and speedy recovery for all 3 of them. God bless you! Thank GOD you are going to be ok
This is so fucked up, this known drunk and alcoholic was know to drive all the time drunk and almost hit my friend near La Paz Park 2 weeks ago and they literally said “that guy is going to kill someone someday” what a dam shame he was aloud to just motor about drunk!!!????????
Our prayers go out to Rocky, Maria and Patty … may you all have a speedy recovery, and also to all their loved ones during these difficult times,
I feel really bad for the people that Kelly hurt in this accident. So senseless!! I hope for a speedy recovery for the innocent people.
Only selfish people drive drunk ~ ALWAYS REPORT THEM. Sorry for the families loss, but at least he can’t hurt anyone else. Wishing full recovery to the injured.
I wish you could have known Kelley before drugs and alcohol took him over. He was a sweet charismatic caring person.
He also left a trail of destruction. His first born son, LaSondra, don’t you have a daughter? A son in Tennessee I believe, and his 2 youngest , Ian & Jaci. We grieve for the person he was and hoped we’d get back someday.
Now we grieve for all that was lost. The could have beens….
We send our prayers for the Rhodes family. I am so sorry.
Or drive like an Asshole
How about quit serving Kelly at the Bars in general. Easy to point the finger now that my friend is gone. To all of you who have served Kelly you all have seen how wasted he was but yet you still served him. Just laughed it off like it was no big deal. Now we’ll never see Kelly again. For those who truly knew him. We lost a great friend and brother. We’re going to miss you Kelly.
Gonna miss the good times. Rest In Peace.
1957-2018
I am so sadd to hear this news. I knew him well when we were young as I grew u l next door to him and we went together for a couple ok f years. I had always hoped that he would get himself together and live a good life. I am so sad to hear that he was unable to do so. My heart goes out to both families. So very sad!
I’m not quite sure how bad mouthing Kelly is doing any good, I mean he’s gone right? What he did was absolutely wrong, he hurt innocent people and paid the ultimate price for his actions. Let’s not forget that Kelly also had a family that loved and cared about him and from what I can tell they obviously feel extremely guilty for the harm he caused others and I can imagine that these negative comments are only making them feel worse on top of the fact that they lost a loved one. No one is going to dispute what Kelly did was wrong but talking crap about him and his character is only hurting his family more. I knew Kelly and he was a nice guy, he was a nice guy that did a horrible thing. I hope that the people that were hurt in the accident have a full recovery…
Antony,
Indeed your words are true!!! So very true. Every
single establishment ( leaving nameless) is guilty also.
To : just say’n, you also are correct.
As the summer season that intales lots of drinking on this river approaches, the best way to show you care, is to be pro active of “ no drinking & driving” , be that person that stays sober to get
friends & loved ones to their destinations safe!
It’s just not that hard
I am one of Kellu’s two sisters and I am very sad to have lost my brother and my thoughts and prayers to out to the crash survivors and their families. I look at Kelly’s life and wish that he could have found some resolve to the issues that bothered him. I am not saying this as an excuse for his irresponsible behavior but only to say that he would never intend to hurt anyone. Our family had it’s own tragedies and I only wish their could have been more help in that area of his life. I will remember him as funny, happy, handsome, and talented, outgoing.
What about the bar that served him they should be held Responsible also there are people that are trying to post the go fund me accounts will think about who served this guy Kelly I sat on the highway for about two hours watching the whole thing unfold it wasn’t a very pretty scene
Prayer to those that were injured and to their family. Kelly was a classmate and a great guy in school , It’s just sad that he became a statistics, where lots of people have been killed, just sad that it happen and remember that the river and lake Havasu has always been known as a big party place . Just a sad tragedy. Rest In peace Kelly . ( Kahi,)
Kelli was my friend, unfortunately he made a bad “choice” and innocent lives were lost. May all that lost there lives Rest In Peace!