Utah man arrested on 11 counts after killing 5

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Arthur A. Nelson – Carbon County Sheriff’s Office

Emma Marsing, [email protected]

CARBON COUNTY, WYOMING — On Jan. 22 at approximately 6:52 p.m., Wyoming Highway Patrol was notified of a vehicle traveling eastbound in the westbound lanes at approximately mm 215. At approximately mm 220 near Sinclair, WY, the vehicle traveling in the wrong direction had caused a serious injury crash.

According to the court documents produced by Second Judicial District Court in Carbon County, Arthur A. Nelson (57), from West Jordan, UT explained that he was under the influence of Methamphetamine the prior day. One of the active officers on duty explained to Mr. Nelson that he should not be driving to which Mr. Nelson responded by stating, “That’s a lesson to be learned.” Nelson was also driving with a suspended license due to a previous DUI. After further tests were done, Nelson failed all sobriety tests conducted on him.

As stated by Wyoming Highway Patrol, “A Dodge Ram 3500 was eastbound in the westbound travel lanes near milepost 219 on Interstate 80 when it collided with two separate vehicles, a Freightliner semi tractor-trailer, and an Infiniti QX80. The International semi tractor-trailer was also westbound, and the driver witnessed the collision. The International driver took evasive action and the International entered the median, where it crossed into the eastbound travel lanes. The International collided with a Ford F-150, causing the Ford burst into flames and all five (5) subjects in the vehicle succumbed to their injuries.”

This crash resulted in five fatalities: Salomonanjel Correa (21), Ava Luplow (18), Magdalene Franco (20), Emily Prime (18), Andrea Prime (23), all from Arkansas. As well as three injuries, with one being life-flighted and placed in the Greely, CO Burn Center.

Arthur A. Nelson has been charged with eleven counts: Aggravated Homicide by Vehicle (5x), Driving While Under the Influence of a Controlled Substance with Serious Bodily Injury, Reckless Driving, Reckless Endangerment, Driving Wrong Way on Divided Highway, and Driving While Suspended.

Nelson has been placed on a $500,000 bond. The next hearing has been scheduled for Feb. 1 at 3:30 p.m.