Park Employee Dies in Off-Duty Vehicle Crash 

June 7, 2024 – DEATH VALLEY, Calif. – Rigoberto “RJ” Avina died in a vehicle crash in Death Valley National Park on May 26. Avina had worked for the National Park Service for nearly 3 years but was not on duty at the time of the accident.

“RJ's passing leaves a hole in our community’s heart,” said Superintendent Mike Reynolds. “He was a smart young man with a bright future. I will miss his smile and grieve for his family’s loss.”

Avina, 28, of Pahrump, NV, had worked in Death Valley National Park’s maintenance division since September 2021. He was survived by his wife and two young sons.

Avina died in a single-vehicle accident on CA-190. Vehicle crashes are the leading cause of fatalities in Death Valley National Park.

Death Valley National Park is the homeland of the Timbisha Shoshone and preserves natural resources, cultural resources, exceptional wilderness, scenery, and learning experiences within the nation’s largest conserved desert landscape and some of the most extreme climate and topographic conditions on the planet. Learn more at www.nps.gov/deva.

Rigoberto "RJ" Avina at Furnace Creek Visitor Center in 2021.

Source & photo credit: NPS