In an automobile accident in northern New Mexico on Thursday morning, the head boys basketball coach at Santa Fe Indian School and his brother, an assistant sports director at SFIS, perished.
San Juan Pueblo residents Jason Abeyta, 47, and Nathan Abeyta, 42, perished in the Rio Arriba County collision, along with a passenger in another car.
“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,” Eric Brock, athletic director at SFIS, said.
A spokeswoman for the New Mexico State Police said that at around six in the morning on Thursday, officers were called to a two-vehicle collision close to the crossroads of Highway 84 and State Road 554, which is close to Abiquiu.
Police say a Chevy Camaro heading south on NM 84 collided head-on with a Jeep Wrangler after veering into the northbound lanes while negotiating a bend.
Police identified the deceased driver of the Chevy Camaro as 19-year-old Isaac Madrid.
The representative said the Jeep Wrangler was being driven by Jason Abeyta. The Office of the Medical Investigator declared all three of them dead at the site.
The accident’s cause is still being looked into.
Wednesday afternoon marked the start of SFIS’s spring vacation; classes won’t return 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.
According to Brock, both brothers have graduated from SFIS and have children who have done the same. According to Brock, Nathan had served in various roles at the school for over 15 years, while Jason had been the head coach for almost 10 years.
“(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.”
According to Brock, both brothers were committed to assisting pupils and attempting to guide them into successful adulthood.
According to Brock, Jason Abeyta, the attendance counselor, was typically the first person guests saw when they arrived at the school. He claimed that Nathan “always thought about Santa Fe Indian School.” He had a strong desire to improve our athletics.
Funeral services were not immediately announced.
