T. Lindsay Baker, a historian and author of 2 Route 66 related books, died Thursday morning in an accident on Interstate 40 near Flagstaff while participating in the Route 66 Centennial Caravan. Baker was 79.
Baker had been driving his 1930 Ford Model A “woody” station wagon in the caravan. He’d driven the vehicle on Route 66 four previous times.
Bart Graves, media relations specialist for the Arizona Department of Public Safety, stated in an email that the two-vehicle accident occurred on eastbound I-40 at milepost 207 at 8:54 a.m.
“A motorhome was traveling behind another uninvolved motor vehicle when the vehicle in front changed lanes abruptly to avoid colliding with another vehicle, which was an antique passenger car.
“The motorhome was unable to take evasive action and collided with the rear of the antique vehicle, causing it to run off the roadway and roll over. The driver and sole occupant in the antique vehicle sustained fatal injuries and declared deceased on scene.”Baker had been driving his 1930 Ford Model A “woody” station wagon in the caravan.
Graves said impairment was not suspected.
The caravan had driven through Williams on its way eastward on Route 66.
