Nicholas Samson Rice, 47, was last seen on February 16, 2020, after a single-vehicle crash on Interstate 17 about one mile north of the Sunset Point Rest Stop near Black Canyon City, Arizona. He and a front-seat passenger left the wreck and walked east into an open field until they reached the edge of a large canyon near a mine. The passenger says Rice injured an ankle in the crash and could not continue.

According to the passenger’s account, the companion descended into the canyon alone to reach the Sunset Point Rest Stop and was given a ride home by a passerby, leaving Rice’s precise location and condition unknown. The Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office opened an investigation on February 20, 2020, and the search has been described as ongoing. Rice is White/Caucasian, blond or strawberry blond hair, hazel eyes, 5 feet 10 inches and about 170 pounds at the time he went missing.

Key unanswered questions include why Rice and his passenger left the scene on foot and the specific area where Rice was left near the canyon rim. Anyone who was in the Sunset Point area on February 16, 2020, or who has information about Rice’s whereabouts is asked to come forward.