NAVAJO COUNTY — A fatal early-morning accident that killed Glen Collins, a firefighter with the Timber Mesa Fire and Medical District, was addressed in court on Jan. 29, where Judge Clark ordered the woman accused in the collision held without bond. Collins was riding his motorcycle to work on Oct. 3, 2025, when he was struck on Lone Pine Dam Road near milepost 7.5 and died at the scene.
The ruling followed a hearing in State of Arizona v. Kilaya Williamson, which involves two felony cases: a 2025 case in which Williamson was released on bond and the new 2026 case stemming from the fatal crash.
Family and friends of Collins were present in the courtroom and online; Williamson’s family was also present in the courtroom. This journalist was also present. All listened intently as testimony and case details were disclosed.
Court records show that Kilaya Williamson is charged in the 2026 case with second-degree murder under A.R.S. § 13-1104(A)(3), alleging she acted with extreme indifference to human life, a Class 1 felony. The charge stems from the Oct. 3, 2025, crash that killed Collins. At the time of the accident, Williamson was already facing felony charges in a separate 2025 case, including possession of a dangerous drug for sale (Class 2 felony), transportation or sale of prescription drugs (Class 6 felony), and possession of drug paraphernalia (Class 6 felony), and had been released on bond.
Williamson has pleaded not guilty to the second-degree murder charge, but pleaded guilty to the prior charges and was entering into a probation phase during the investigation of the accident that occurred on Oct. 3, which claimed the life of Collins.
At the outset of the hearing, Hon. Joseph S. Clark outlined the legal standard required to deny bond, stating, “In order for you to be held without bond, the state is going to have to prove that the proof is evident, the presumption great, as to a new offense, and that it was committed while on release on the prior offense.”
Testimony showed that deputies with the Navajo County Sheriff’s Office were dispatched around 6:46 a.m. on Oct. 3, 2025, to the crash scene, where a red Chevrolet Silverado pickup driven by Williamson had collided with Collins’ motorcycle. Investigators testified there were no eyewitnesses to the actual moment of impact.
The Navajo County Sheriff’s Office detective testified that the motorcycle was traveling in its proper lane when the pickup slightly crossed the center line into oncoming traffic.
Under Arizona law, a motorcycle is entitled to the full use of a single traffic lane, the same as any other vehicle. A rider may legally use any portion of that lane — left, center, or right — as conditions require. According to the testimony, it could be concluded that Collins was riding closer to the yellow line.
During cross-examination, the detective described the point of impact as “just immediately over the yellow line, about a foot or so, on the motorcycle side, before the truck continued off the roadway.”
According to detective testimony, the vehicle data recovered from the pickup’s event data recorder showed Williamson was traveling approximately 40 miles per hour in a 45-mile-per-hour zone at the time of impact. The data also showed there was no braking prior to the collision. No data was recovered from Collins’s motorcycle, according to the testimony.
The detective also stated Williamson told deputies she had just begun driving when the crash occurred and said sun glare affected her vision as she reached to adjust her visor. She also stated there were cats inside the vehicle and that she heard a thump before the airbag deployed. To assess the glare claim, the detective testified that he returned to the scene the following morning and drove the same stretch of road multiple times within the same time window, stating that the sun did not impair his visibility before the curve where the collision occurred.
Williamson was transported to the hospital, where officers conducted a drug recognition evaluation (DRE). The detective stated that subsequent toxicology testing detected methamphetamine in her system. The detective testified that no THC or marijuana was found despite Williamson reporting marijuana use the previous evening. Although Williamson reported using marijuana the night before the crash, investigators testified that toxicology testing did not detect THC, and no expert testimony was presented to explain the discrepancy.
While some prescribed medications Williamson was taking could account for amphetamine indicators, none explained the presence of methamphetamine. Investigators said they could not determine when the drug entered her system.
The autopsy was discussed in the hearing, and it was stated that the autopsy, conducted by the Coconino County Medical Examiner’s Office, documented extensive and catastrophic injuries. Including multiple fractured ribs and a fractured sternum, severe internal hemorrhaging, lung contusions, lacerations to major organs, and traumatic injuries to the extremities, including a near-complete amputation of part of one leg. Collins died on impact and passed away on Lone Pine Dam rd.
Defense counsel argued that Williamson was driving under the speed limit, that the impact occurred close to the center line during a curve, and that shock, prescription medications, and environmental factors could explain her condition at the scene and the accident itself. The defense also emphasized that toxicology results did not establish when methamphetamine was ingested or whether it impaired her at the time of the crash.
Prosecutors countered that Williamson crossed into oncoming traffic without braking while on felony release and that the evidence met the constitutional standard for denying bond.
After what appeared to be a moment of careful consideration, Judge Clark seemed to consider the testimony and exhibits. Judge Clark issued his ruling from the bench, stating, “I will find the proof evident and the presumption great as to the new offense that she was on felony release, released on bond on the first offense. I will hold Ms. Williamson without bond.”
This journalist found Judge Clark’s ruling fair and in line with Arizona State Law.
The court also exonerated the bond in the 2025 case, returning it to a family member, and set a status conference and case management conference for March 5 at 9 a.m. No trial date has been scheduled.
All persons are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
