5 Jan 1969 – 27 Jun 1981
4th-Great-Grandson of Philip Cardon and Martha Marie Tourn
3rd-Great-Grandson of Louis Philip Cardon and Susette Stalé
2nd-Great-Grandson of Joseph Samuel Cardon and Selenia Mesenile Walker
Great-Grandson of Junius Welborn Cardon and Mae Whiting
Grandson of Irene Cardon and Vaughn L. Christensen
Son of Janice Christensen and Marvin John Loar. Brother of Shannon Mark Loar
Shaun Loar
Shannon Loar
MESA – Services for Shaun David Loar, 12 and his brother Shannon Mark Loar, 11 will be at 10 a.m. today in the Kimball Stake Center of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 32nd Street and Southern.
Shaun and Shannon, of 758 S. Toltec, were fatally injured in an auto accident June 27, 1981, near Camp Verde. Both were born in Farmington, N.M., and came here a year ago from Salt Lake City.
Shaun was a deacon in the LDS 52nd Ward and Shannon was in the Primary. Both were students at Longfellow Elementary School.
Survivors include their parents, Mr. and Mrs. Marvin J. Loar, a sister; four brothers and two grandparents.
Gibbons-Bunker Mortuary made arrangements.
-Published in The Arizona Republic, Thursday, July 2, 1981, Page F2 (68)
4 on Boy Scout trip die in head-on crash; 7 injured
By Ken Wayman and Mabel V. Funk
Special for the Republic
CAMP VERDE – A Boy Scout outing to the Grand Canyon ended in tragedy Saturday when a head-on collision between their station wagon and a pickup truck on Interstate 17 claimed the lives of three scouts and one adult leader.
Two other scouts and two adult leaders, and the three occupants of the picjup were injured, one critically.
The pickup was going the wrong way on I-17 nine miles south of Camp Verde, according to the Department of Public Safety.
The scouts and their leaders were members of the 52nd Ward of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Killed were Shawn and Shannon Loar, 12 and 11 yeas old, of 758 Toltec, Mesa; Christopher Cummins, 16 or 17, address unknown; and Keith Badger, 41, of 1312 W. Ninth St., Tempe.
John Marvin Loar, father of the two dead boys, was in critical condition after surgery early today with multiple head and chest injuries.
Also injured from the outing group were Kapiolahi Sikahema, 14 of 1835 E. Farmdale, Mesa; Rex Parry, 25, an Donnovan Fields, about 18, neither address available. They were in satisfactory condition.
Injured in the pickup were Larry Strong, 21; James Strong, 23; and Harry Whiterock, 25, all of Tonalea. They were listed in satisfactory condition.
DPS officers said the accident occurred about 5:20 p.m. a mile north of the junction of Arizona 169 when the pickup apparently turned around on I-17 and began driving the wrong way.
Gene Schmidt of 618 S. Toltec, who was carrying the scouts’ camping equipment in his truck about a mile behind, witnessed the accident.
“I saw them swerving,” the distraught Schmidt said, “then the next thing, I saw (the station wagon) sliding down the road flying apart.”
Three ambulances from Camp Verde and Rim Rock, a fire engine and crew from the Camp Verde Volunteer Fire Department, a rescue crew from the Verde Rural Fire Department and a DPS helicopter were called to the scene to treat and evacuate the injured victims.
The elder Loar, who was driving the station wagon, was pinned in the wreckage for some time, as were the bodies of the dead boys, firemen said.
Reid Wood, administrator of Marcus Lawrence Memorial Hospital about 20 miles away in Cottonwood, where all the injured were taken, said he drove by the accident, and it “put chills all over me.”
He said he could barely tell what kind of vehicles were involved.
Ambulance personnel said a Flagstaff physician who happened on the scene coordinated the emergency care, and five physicians were called to treat the victims as they arrived at Marcus Lawrence Hospital. The rescue workers were hampered by strong winds and rain at the accident scene.
Families of the victims were notified by other church members and were driven to Cottonwood early today and stayed with church members there.
Shortly after the accident, the DPS said a second head-on collision was reported several miles south of the first accident scene. However, that later was determined not to be true.
-Published in The Arizona Republic (Phoenix, AZ) Sunday, June 28, 1981, pages A1 and A19.
Scout venture came to end in fatal crash
By Gail Reid and Carol Sowers
Republic Staff
COTTONWOOD – Summertime was special for Marvin John Loar.
The 43-year-old Mesa resident, who teaches religion classes for the Mormon Church, reserves that time of year for his family.
But on Sunday, Loar, of 758 Toltec, remained in the intensive-care unit at Marcus Lawrence Memorial Hospital after his station wagon collided head-on with a pickup truck allegedly going the wrong way on Interstate 17 late Saturday afternoon. Tow of his sons, Shawn, 12, and Shannon, 11, and two friends had died in the crash.
Christian S. Cummins, 18, of 708 County Club, an Eagle Scout, and Keith Badger, 41, of 1312 W. Ninth St., Tempe, a troop leader, were declared dead at the scene, 9 miles south of Camp Verde.
Injured in the Scout group were Kapiolahi Sikahema, 14, of 1835 E. Farmdale, Mesa; Rex Parry, 25, and Donnovan Fields, 18, addresses unknown. Parry and Fields were listed in guarded condition at the hospital on Sunday. Loar was listed in critical condition.
Sikahema was treated and released Saturday.
Injured in the pickup were Larry Strong, 21; James Strong, 23; and Harry Whiterock, 25, all of Tonalea. They were listed in satisfactory condition.
On Saturday, Loar and two sons had driven to the Grand Canyon to pick up a group of eight Eagle Scouts who had made the rugged 20.6-mile hike from the North Rim to the South Rim earlier in the week.
Loar, the Scouts and their leaders were members of the 52nd Ward of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Bishop Pat Freestone described the Loar family as “close and strong.”
Dave Christensen, Loar’s brother-in-law, one of many Mesa residents who had driven to Cottonwood early Sunday morning after hearing about the tragedy, said, “They were very much family people. They always enjoyed doing things together, and, typically, they had more time for each other during the summer.”
Family members and friends, notified late Saturday, gathered at the hospital early Sunday morning. Most sat quietly together near the intensive-care center. Several Mormon families living in Cottonwood offered them places to stay until their loved ones were out of danger.
As time passed, some left the circle of friends and wandered around the hospital to be alone with their thoughts.
Christensen was one of them and told us about his brother-in-law. Marvin Loar, he said, is a scout leader who wanted to help.
“He is a guy who likes to help people and would open his home to someone in trouble and always find time for a family member in need” he said.
Loar loves his work, Christensen said, but was committed to his wife and seven children. He often took his chldren hiking and helped them with church and Boy Scout activities.
“He tries to take each of his children on one-day hikes and give them individual attention. But he is always sure to return in a day so they can be with the rest of the family.”
Loar’s wife Janis, was attending a family reunion in Provo, Utah, at the time of the accident, Reid Wood, the hospital administrator, said. Mrs. Loar arrived late Sunday at the hospital to be at her husband’s side.
The accident occurred about 5:20 p.m. Saturday when Loar’s south-bound station wagon collided head-on with a pickup truck that was traveling the wrong way, according to the Department of Public Safety.
The pickup, which had been heading south on I-17, apparently made a U-turn and swerved into Loars’ path.
Sgt. Allan Schmidt said investigators may file charges against the driver of the pickup.
“We have not determined who the driver is because all three bodies were thrown out,” Schmidt said. “It will take more tests to find that out.”
The six other Scouts in the party drove home through Payson and were not aware of what had happened to their companions, investigators said.
The outing had been planned for more than a year by some of the members, a church member said.
Ruby Sikahema, mother of one of the injured Scouts, said, “Kapiolahi, was so excited to go.”
“He had never been to the Grand Canyon.
“I didn’t think he would want to go because he is weightlifting this summer, but he said it was important to him to go.”
Badger, a Scout leader who died in the accident, had convinced Mrs. Sikahema, whose family moved to Mesa from the Tonga Island in the South Pacific 10 years ago, that it would be an educational, exciting trip for her son, she said.
The expedition was the first led by Badger since he joined the newly formed ward six weeks ago, according to church member Cameron McKay.
Badger is survived by his wife, Pat and five children.
“It was really happenstance that some of these boys went,” McKay said.
He said the trip was offered to Scouts in the 52nd Ward after those in another ward could not attend, McKay said.
Tentative funeral arrangements include visitation on Tuesday and funeral services at 10 a.m. Wednesday at the Mesa 17th Ward, 1700 E 6th Ave.
-Published by The Arizona Republic (Phoenix, AZ) Monday, June 29, 1981, Page A10.
Prosecution Possible in I-17 Wreck
Which Killed Four Persons Saturday
COTTONWOOD (UPI) – An investigator’s report of a traffic accident that killed three Boy Scouts, and a Scout leader will be submitted to the Yavapai County attorney’s office for possible prosecution, state Department of Public Safety officers said Sunday.
Seven people remained hospitalized as a result of the head-on collision between a station wagon carrying the scouts and a pickup truck that was traveling in the wrong direction on Interstate 17.
Marvin John Loar, 43, Mesa, father of two of the boys killed in the crash, was listed in critical condition at Marcus Lawrence Hospital at Cottonwood following surgery for multiple head and chest injuries.
Five others taken to the Cottonwood hospital, about 20 miles from the scene of the accident south of Camp Verde, were reported in satisfactory condition.
Killed in the crash Saturday evening were Shawn and Shannon Loar, 12 and 11, Christian Cummins, 18, Mesa, an Eagle Scout, and Keith Badger, 41, Tempe, a troop leader.
DPS officers said the accident occurred at 5:20 p.m. 1 mile north of the junction of Arizona 169 when the pickup apparently turned around and began driving the wrong way on I-17.
Gene Schmidt, a neighbor of the Loar’s who was carrying the scouts’ camping equipment in his truck about a mile behind, witnessed the accident.
“I saw them swerving, ” said Schmidt, “then the next thing I saw was the (station wagon) sliding down the road flying apart.”
Three ambulances from Camp Verde and Rim Rock, a fire engine and crew from the Camp Verde Volunteer Fire Department, a rescue crew from the Verde Rural Fire Department, and a DPS helicopter were called to the scene to treat and evacuate the injured victims.
The elder Loar, who was driving the station wagon, was pinned in the wreckage for a time, as were the bodies of his sons, firemen said.
DPS Officer Richard Groman said the agency was investigating the accident to determine whether criminal charges may be brought.
“I would imagine it all depends on why the truck was traveling in the wrong direction at the time,” he said. Evidence would be turned over to the Yavapai County Attorney’s office upon completion of the probe, he said.
The driver of the pickup, Harry Whiterock, 25, Tonolea, was among those hospitalized in satisfactory condition.
Others were Larry Strong, 21, James Strong, 23, both of Tonolea and both passengers in the truck.
Those injured from the scout’s outing group were Kapiolahi Sikahema, 14, Mesa, who was released after treatment at the hospital, Rex Parry, 25 and Donavan Fields, 18 addresses unknown.
The scouts and their leaders were members of the 52nd Ward of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Loar and his two sons drove to the Grand Canyon Saturday to pick up a group of eight Eagle Scouts who had hiked 20.6 miles from the North Rim to the south rim earlier in the week. The other Scouts drove home through Payson.
-Published in Arizona Daily Sun (Flagstaff, AZ), Monday, June 29, 1981, page 8
Driver of pickup in collision
charged with manslaughter
PRESCOTT – The driver of a pickup that collided with a station wagon, killing four people, was indicted Thursday by a Yavapai County grand jury on four counts of reckless manslaughter and one count of aggravated assault with a vehicle.
Harry Whiterock, 25, of Tonalea, could receive a total of 75 years in prison if convicted onthe charges.
Whiterock, who was arrested shortly after he was released from the hospital after the accident, remains in Yavapai County Jail in lieu of $100,000 bond.
Authorities said Whitrock was driving a pickup the wrong way on Interstate 17 near Camp Verde on June 27 when it collided with a station wagon carrying Boy Scouts and two adult leaders. Four people were killed.
After the accident, Whiterock was arrested on a warrant issued out of Flagstaff for not paying a $381 fine on charges stemming from an arrest for drunken driving one year ago.
City Court records in Flagstaff show Whiterock has been arrested a least six times since 1977 for drunken driving, and warrants were issued at least three times for Whiterock for not paying fines for driving while intoxicated.
Marvin John Loar, 43, the father of two of the victims of the head-on accident south of Camp Verde, remained in stable but critical condition Thursday in Marcus J. Lawrence Hospital in Cottonwood.
Killed in the wreck were Loar’s sons, Shawn and Shannon Loar, 12 an 11 respectively, both of Mesa; Christopher Cummins, 18 of Mesa; and Keith Badger, 41 of Tempe.
Donovan Fields, 17, Rex Parry, 25 and Kapiolaha Sikahema, 14, all of Mesa, were passengers in the station wagon and were injured in the accident.
Two passengers in the pickup, Larry Strong, 21 and James Strong, 23 both of Tonolea, also were injured.
All the injured except Loar have been released from the hospital.
-Published in The Arizona Republic (Phoenix, AZ), Friday, July 10, 1981, Page B3 (21).
Driver in fatal gets 30 years
By The Associated Press
PRESCOTT – The driver of a pickup truck that collided head-on with a carload of Boy Scouts, killing four persons, has been sentenced to a minimum of 30 years in prison.
Yavapai Conty Superior Court Judge Paul G. Rosenblatt said he based his sentencing of Harry Whiterock, 25, of Phoenix, on Whiterock’s record of a least six previous arrests for drunken driving.
Rosenblatt rejected a plea that Whiterock be given a minimum sentence and treatment for extreme alcoholism, saying the prison term is appropriate because of the previous arrests and convictions.
Killed in the crash were Shawn Loar, 11, Shannon Loar, 12, Christian S. Summings, 18 and Keith Badger, 41.
The Loar boys’ father Marvin Loar, was seriously injured, as were five others in the station wagon.
Whiterock pleaded guilty Aug. 17 to four counts of reckless manslaughter and one charge of recklessly causing serious injury to another person.
-Published in Tucson Citizen (Tucson, AZ) Tuesday, October 6, 1981, Page 3B.
-Published in Arizona Daily Sun (Flagstaff, AZ) Tuesday, October 6, 1981, Page 7.
Drunken drivers pay laws little heed
Steps Needed in Battle Against Drunken Driver
A driver has been sentenced to serve up to 30 years in prison in the deaths of four Mesa people in a traffic accident on Interstate 17 near Camp Verde June 27.
The sentence, of course, will not bring Shaun and Shannon Loar, Christian S. Cummings, and Keith Badger back to life nor will it ease the heartache of their relatives and friends nor the pain of those still recuperating from injuries suffered in the crash.
Harry Whiterock, the driver, had been drinking at the time of the crash. He had been going the wrong way on the highway for several miles and had nearly caused other accidents.
In addition, he had been arrested on several previous occasions for drunken driving and had had his driving license revoked.
This is a case where the system proved inadequate in handling a potential killer, which all drunken drivers are. The laws were applied, but to tragically little effect.
The drunken driving charges and the license revocation meant little to Harry Whiterock. He kept on drinking, and he kept on driving.
In the case of individuals like Whiterock, other approaches seem to be needed to supplement the laws. A system must be devised to make such individuals realize the dangers they pose.
Those who are convicted even once as drunken drivers should be required to enter some kind of program aimed at helping them realize their responsibilities to their fellow human beings. They must be made aware that they are a danger to themselves and others when behind the wheel of an automobile after drinking.
The highways must be cleared of such hazards. Nearly half of the nation’s auto fatalities are related to the abuse of alcohol. Is it not time to take additional steps to reduce this carnage? – Mesa Tribune
-Published in The Arizona Daily Star (Tucson, AZ), Wednesday, October 21, 1981, Page 18, Section A
-Published in Arizona Daily Sun (Flagstaff, AZ), Sunday, October 25, 1981, Page 18.
Mountain View Funeral Home and Cemetery, Mesa, Maricopa County, Arizona
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