Engaged couple with ‘love for adventure’ killed in crash with allegedly impaired driver
LAS VEGAS (KVVU/Gray News) - Police in Nevada say the driver of a tractor-trailer is accused of driving impaired in a crash that killed three motorcylists, including a recently engaged couple.
Nevada State Police identified 22-year-old Owen Merrell Hart and 21-year-old Athena Faye Taylor as two of three motorcyclists killed in a crash with a tractor-trailer whose driver was allegedly impaired at the time, KVVU reports.
Hart and Taylor were a recently engaged couple from St. George, Utah, according to a GoFundMe set up for their families.
“Owen and Athena were more than soulmates; they were best friends, seeking adventure and sharing their love for life with everyone around them,” wrote Caleb Gwilliam, the organizer of the GoFundMe. “They were not just ‘soon to be’ partners in life, but also in their love for adventure, the outdoors, and the thrill of the open road and partners in spirit.”
The third motorcyclist killed was identified by police as 44-year-old Jeremy George Gebo. He was also from St. George.
Police say the crash between two motorcycles and a tractor-trailer happened around 2:38 p.m. Saturday on State Route 163 eastbound in the Laughlin, Nevada, area. One of the motorcycles involved had two riders.
Investigation revealed that the driver of the Freightliner tractor-trailer was traveling westbound when he crossed an unprotected center median, drove into the eastbound travel lane and into the path of the motorcycles. All three motorcyclists were pronounced dead at the scene.
Hart and Taylor had just gotten engaged for Christmas 2023, according to GoFundMe. Any money donated on the fundraising site will be used to help their families cover funeral and care expenses.
“This was to be just the beginning of their love story, filled with dreams of a bright future,” Gwilliam wrote.
Police identified the tractor-trailer driver as 29-year-old Claude Rafiki. He was booked into the Clark County Detention Center for suspicion of impaired driving and other related charges.
Police say the investigation is being conducted by the Nevada Highway Patrol Southern Command Multidisciplinary Investigation & Reconstruction Team. Based on the final investigation and coroner reports, fatal data may change.
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