Woman in BMW kills 3 people when she crosses center line of major highway and rams 'head-on' into minivan carrying kids: Authorities

A pistillate is accused of crossing the halfway enactment of a large road successful Arizona and smashing "head-on" into a minivan, sidesplitting 3 radical inside.

Amy Lynn Mickelson, 48, faces a multitude of charges, including 3 counts of second-degree murder, 7 counts of aggravated assault, 2 counts of felony endangerment, transgression damage, and aggravated DUI, the Arizona Department of Public Safety announced. Though she was arrested past week, the clang occurred successful the wintertime of 2024.

On Dec. 7, 2024, astir 2 p.m., Mickelson was driving her BMW sedan connected southbound U.S. 93 adjacent milepost 175 successful the country of Congress, Arizona, the bureau said successful its property release. Also driving connected the large north-south road was a radical of radical successful a Toyota Sienna minivan.

Authorities contend that Mickelson was "impaired" — though they bash not accidental by what — erstwhile she drove crossed the enactment dividing the 2 sides of the roadworthy and "struck" the minivan "head-on."

A witness, Christina Lane, told local outlet AZ Family that she rushed to assistance the radical successful the minivan portion her fellow rescued the pistillate from the BMW moments earlier it was engulfed successful flames. Aerial video obtained by the outlet shows the sedan burning, with a ample magnitude of fume billowing up into the air.

The BMW was severely wrecked, portion photos of the crash's aftermath amusement the minivan totaled, too.

Three radical successful the minivan were pronounced dormant astatine the scene. While the Arizona Department of Public Safety did not sanction them, AZ Family identified the driver's property arsenic 51, with the 2 passengers who died ages 44 and 17.

"The remaining 4 occupants, each insignificant children betwixt the ages of 5 and 16, were transported for aesculapian attraction with superior carnal injuries," the property merchandise added. They were expected to survive.

About 2:15 p.m. that day, detectives with the department's Vehicular Crimes Unit responded to the clang and investigated its cause. Though they determined that Mickelson caused it, they accidental she "fled Arizona and established residence successful Utah."

With the assistance of the U.S. Marshals Service, instrumentality enforcement recovered and arrested Mickelson extracurricular a convenience store successful Salt Lake City, Utah, connected March 19, 2026. She was booked into the adjacent Weber County Jail and held without enslaved earlier being extradited to Yavapai County, Arizona.

Congress, Arizona, is located astir 80 miles northwest of Phoenix.