Truck driver charged in wrong-way crash that killed 3 motorcyclists from St. George
SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4) — A semi truck driver is facing DUI charges after he allegedly drove the wrong way on a Nevada highway over the weekend, hitting and killing three motorcyclists from southern Utah.
Claude Rafiki, 29, of Michigan, is facing three counts of DUI resulting in death in connection with the Saturday afternoon crash, ABC4’s sister station in Las Vegas reported.
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According to investigators, Rafiki was driving on the wrong side of State Route 163, not far from the Nevada-Arizona border, when he slammed into the motorcyclists.
The Clark County Coroner’s office identified the victims as 22-year-old Owen Hart, 21-year-old Athena Taylor, and 44-year-old Jeremy Gebo. All three were from St. George.
Melissa Hart, Owen Hart’s mother, told KLAS that the semi truck driver rounded a corner and crashed into her son and another motorcycle rider.
The group was out riding to celebrate Owen Hart’s birthday and the beginning of his own career as a truck driver.
Rafiki made his first court appearance Wednesday, when his bail was set at $500,000. According to KLAS, Rafiki is slated to have his next court appearance on Thursday.
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