So not exactly lightning, nor is it really a funny thing when someone dies. BUT.

(AP) Arizona Anti-Gay Marriage Leader Dies in Car Crash

A woman who was spearheading the ballot effort to prohibit gay marriage in Arizona has been killed in an automobile crash, authorities said.

Lynn Stanley, chairwoman of the Protect Marriage Arizona Coalition, died in a crash early Monday on Interstate 40, according to the state Department of Public Safety.

Authorities said Stanley, 58, was returning to Phoenix from Las Vegas, where she was visiting two sisters, at the time of the accident.

The Protect Marriage coalition collected some 300,000 signatures to place its measure on the November ballot, said Nathan Sproul, a political consultant for the effort.

Amending the state Constitution, as the Protect Marriage coalition intends, requires at least 183,917 valid signatures.

The group planned to submit its petitions today, with Stanley on hand to celebrate the accomplishment.

Her death has led the initiative to delay its submittal until Thursday, the deadline to turn in signatures.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, July 05, 2006 at 3:21 PM. Want to discuss? Leave a comment below.