WICKENBURG - A DPS rescue pilot on his way to work Monday night was killed in a head-on crash on US 93 near Wickenburg.
His co-workers are remembering the man who loved his family and his job.
Matt Uhl was just heading to work, filling in for another DPS pilot at the base in Kingman, when he was struck head-on.
Witnesses say the SUV that crashed into Uhl was speeding and trying to pass traffic on the two lane highway, causing the violent collision. Two other men, occupants of the other vehicle, were also killed.
A man who worked with Uhl says his death is a loss for the entire state of Arizona. The shock is still setting in for Uhl's DPS family.
"When I climbed into a helicopter with Matt, I knew I was coming home. I had no concerns at all, absolutely none," says flight paramedic Eric Tarr. He spent countless hours in the DPS Ranger helicopter with Uhl at the controls.
"He was a good family man, he talked about his kids and his wife a lot, he was very proud of them."
The scene last night on the highway was the kind of accident the crew often responded to, trying to save lives.
"None of it makes sense. Why does a child drown in a backyard? Why is this person injured in a collision versus a different person? I don't know the answer to that."
FOX 10 interviewed Uhl several times over the years. He was the pilot on a number of high profile search and rescue operations over the years, including the rescue of a 3-year-old girl and her dog after they got lost in the woods near Cordes Lakes last year.
"He never complained at all, I'd wake him up at 2 in the morning for a call and he'd have a smile on his face. Just one of those guys who just enjoyed it, he really truly enjoyed his work," says Tarr.
Uhl lived in Chandler and is survived by his wife and four children. The two men in the SUV that caused the crash were both in their 20s -- the driver was from Florida, the passenger was from New Jersey. Their names will be released once their family is notified.
Follow this story: DPS Helicopter Pilot Dies in US 93 Head-On Crash
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