Nonprofit honors Kiah Begaye after fatal crash. 'A true pillar and leader'

A woman killed alongside her husband and two children in a car collision on Sept. 7 was remembered as "a true pillar and leader."

Kiah Jae Begaye, 26, Giovanni Uballe Huerta, 26, and their two children, a 4-year-old and a 2-year-old, were traveling along State Route 260 near Heber when a pickup collided head-on, killing all four on Sept. 7.

The driver of the pickup, Jesse David Lovato, 21, was arrested on suspicion of four counts of manslaughter and two counts of aggravated assault. The other two occupants in the truck were a 14-year-old boy and a 21-year-old woman who were transported to a Phoenix hospital. Neither passenger has been identified as of Sept. 11.

Now, the Black Girl Brown Girl Collective, where Begaye worked, remembered her and her impact with the organization.

The Black Girl Brown Girl Collective is a Phoenix-based nonprofit focused on "closing the gaps in art for women — particularly women of color — by expanding economic opportunities and increasing visibility through platforms, education, and cultural events."

The Collective responded in writing to questions via email and declined to identify a group spokesperson. Begaye's family declined to speak with The Arizona Republic.

Begaye, Huerta and their children would be "severely missed," and the group was working to find "a proper way to honor her because she is, and always will be, an integral part of our community," the nonprofit stated.

Begaye was brought on in 2023 to teach a tote-making workshop to 30 women.

Begaye did a "great job" and had an overwhelmingly positive response from participants and was hired over the years to teach free one-off workshops, the Collective's statement said.

They described her as "patient, kind, prepared," and someone who always had a solution for any sewing problem.

Begaye was a "little sis" and a "niece" to the members and was someone who "showed up," the statement said.

"She had an amazing sense of humor, loved to laugh and joke, and we genuinely enjoyed being in her presence," the statement read.

Her classes helped women leave with a new skill set and "confidence that came from how she taught," according to the statement.

Begaye was set to begin a "new chapter" with her first weekly sewing classes that were to start on Sept. 7, according to the statement.

"She had lesson plans mapped out to progress from totes and aprons into shirts, skirts, and even holiday items," the statement said.

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Begaye took time to build the curriculum because she "wanted women to keep coming back and keep growing," according to the statement.

The weekly sewing class was going to be her next big impact with the nonprofit, the Collective expressed in the statement.

"We don't get to see that fully realized, but everything she'd already built told us exactly where it was headed," the statement read.

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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Nonprofit honors Kiah Begaye after fatal crash. 'A true pillar and leader'