Santa Fe Indian School boys basketball coach, assistant AD killed in car crash
Apr. 17—The head boys basketball coach at Santa Fe Indian School, along with his brother, an assistant athletic director at SFIS, were killed in a car crash in northern New Mexico on Thursday morning.
Jason Abeyta, 47, and Nathan Abeyta, 42, who are from San Juan Pueblo, died in the Rio Arriba County crash, as did a passenger in another vehicle.
"Both were just great guys; they were perfect for their roles at Santa Fe Indian," said Zack Cole, the head boys basketball coach at Cleveland High School. Cole is a former head coach at SFIS, and hired Jason Abeyta to be an assistant coach with the Braves program.
"I'm devastated," said SFIS athletic director Eric Brock.
According to a New Mexico State Police spokeswoman, officers were dispatched to a two-vehicle crash near the intersection of Highway 84 and State Road 554 — near Abiquiu — about 6 a.m. Thursday.
A Chevy Camaro traveling south on NM 84 crossed over into the northbound lanes while maneuvering a curve and caused a head-on collision with a Jeep Wrangler, according to police.
The driver of the Chevy Camaro was identified by police as 19-year-old Isaac Madrid, who was killed.
Jason Abeyta was driving the Jeep Wrangler, according to the spokeswoman. All three were pronounced dead at the scene by the Office of the Medical Investigator.
The cause of the accident remains under investigation.
SFIS had just begun its spring break on Wednesday afternoon; school is not scheduled to resume until April 28.
"Our beloved brothers, Jason Abeyta, our High School Attendance Counselor, and Nathan Abeyta, our Athletics Assistant, have unexpectedly passed away today," stated a message from SFIS to its community on Thursday.
"They really cared about the kids and what kind of leaders they were going to become in our communities," Brock said.
Both brothers are SFIS graduates and have children who also have graduated from the school, Brock said. Nathan had been at the school in multiple capacities for more than 15 years, according to Brock, and Jason the head coach for nearly a decade.
"(Both) were essential part of our program," he said.
Cole said Jason Abeyta was "the perfect coach for Santa Fe Indian."
He added, "They were San Juan Pueblo: deep in their belief and their culture ... They were genuine people, rooted in their culture. They were kind to everyone, really giving people. They loved to serve and take care of others."
Both brothers, Brock said, were devoted to helping students and trying to mentor them into productive adults.
Jason Abeyta, Brock said, was usually the first face visitors would see when they entered the school as the attendance counselor. Nathan, he said, "thought about Santa Fe Indian School all the time. He was very much driven to making our athletics better."
There was no immediate word on funeral services.
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