Family on Las Vegas, Grand Canyon vacation vanished on road trip, authorities say

A trio of South Korean tourists disappeared during a roadworthy travel betwixt the Grand Canyon and Las Vegas, according to Arizona officials.

Jiyeon Lee, 33, Taehee Kim, 59, and Junghee Kim, 54, were past known to beryllium traveling successful a rental car connected Interstate 40 connected Thursday, March 13, according to the Coconino County Sheriff’s Office.

When the household of 3 didn't marque their scheduled formation backmost home, a household subordinate called the Korean Consulate General successful Los Angeles.

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Jiyeon Lee, 33, Taehee Kim, 59, and Junghee Kim, 54, person each been reported missing. (Coconino County Sheriff's Office)

"We were contacted connected the 18th of March by the South Korean Consulate and advised of 3 missing individuals that were traveling from the Grand Canyon to Las Vegas," officials astatine the Coconino County Sheriff's Office told Fox News Digital.

A presumption of the Grand Canyon successful Arizona. (iStock)

The rental vehicle's past known determination coincides with a fatal pile-up mishap connected the aforesaid interstate during a wintertime storm, according to a merchandise from the Arizona Department of Public Safety.

The clang happened astir 3:27 p.m. connected westbound Interstate 40 adjacent milepost 159.5 successful Williams, Ariz. It progressive 22 vehicles, including 13 rider vehicles.

The wintertime upwind conditions, which caused the engaged interstate to beryllium lined with crystal and snow, caused a tractor-trailer to jackknife and "completely obstruct the interstate."

Authorities said that GPS accusation taken from the car showed the family's past known determination was erstwhile they were headed westbound connected Interstate 40 successful Arizona astir 3:30 p.m. connected March 13. (Arizona Department of Public Safety)

The progressive vehicles were engulfed successful flames – including immoderate that burned for much than 20 hours astatine "extreme temperatures," authorities said.

A full of 36 drivers and occupants were progressive successful the accident, including 2 fatalities, and 16 radical were injured and transported for aesculapian care, authorities said.

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The 2 radical who died successful the wreck were Juan Beltran Sanchez, of Chino Valley, Ariz., and Evelyn Davis, of Ganado, Ariz.

Investigators wrote successful a missing persons poster provided by the sheriff's bureau that the household had rented a 2024 achromatic BMW with California licence sheet fig 9KHN768. (Arizona Department of Pubic Safety)

Officials with the Coconino County Sheriff's Office told FOX 10 Phoenix that they are acrophobic that the vehicle's GPS rerouted the family's conveyance into a wood work road.

"It was our interest that due to the fact that of the upwind conditions connected that time and that large accident, their GPS whitethorn person rerouted them. And if you've ever traveled up successful bluish Arizona, erstwhile you get rerouted, sometimes GPS volition reroute you retired into a wood work roadworthy without knowing that upwind conditions are harsh," the sheriff's bureau said.

The Coconino County deputies searched each corridors on I-40 wrong the country wherever the family's rental conveyance was past pinged.

Entrance motion for Grand Canyon National Park successful Arizona. A antheral volition service situation clip aft mounting occurrence to a compartment wrong the park, national prosecutors said.  (Jim Lane/Education Images/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)

Detectives bash not cognize if this missing household was portion of the fiery pile-up, saying that it "is not known if this conveyance was progressive successful the accident." The household of 3 was driving a 2024 achromatic BMW with a California licence plate, according to the missing persons' flyer. 

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Anyone with accusation astir their whereabouts is asked to telephone the Coconino County Sheriff’s Office astatine 928-774-4523, 800-338-7888 oregon Silent Witness astatine 928-774-6111. The missing persons study fig is S25-00828.

Fox News Digital has reached retired to the Arizona Department of Public Safety for comment.