A woman is facing multiple charges after authorities say she crossed the center line of a major highway in Arizona and crashed head-on into a minivan, killing three people.
Amy Lynn Mickelson, 48, has been charged with three counts of second-degree murder, seven counts of aggravated assault, two counts of felony endangerment, criminal damage, and aggravated DUI, according to the Arizona Department of Public Safety. Although she was arrested last week, the crash happened on Dec. 7, 2024.
Authorities said Mickelson was driving a BMW sedan southbound on U.S. 93 near milepost 175, close to Congress, Arizona, when she allegedly crossed into oncoming traffic and collided head-on with a Toyota Sienna minivan.
Investigators believe Mickelson was impaired at the time of the crash, though specific details about the impairment were not released.
A witness, Christina Lane, told AZ Family that she rushed to help the victims in the minivan, while her boyfriend pulled Mickelson from the BMW just before it caught fire. Video from the scene showed the sedan engulfed in flames and heavy smoke rising into the air.
Three people in the minivan were pronounced dead at the scene. According to AZ Family, the victims included a 51-year-old driver and two passengers, ages 44 and 17.
Four other occupants—children between the ages of 5 and 16—were taken to the hospital with serious injuries but were expected to survive.
Investigators from the department’s Vehicular Crimes Unit determined Mickelson caused the crash. Authorities said she later fled Arizona and moved to Utah.
With assistance from the U.S. Marshals Service, she was located and arrested outside a convenience store in Salt Lake City on March 19, 2026. She was initially held in the Weber County Jail without bond before being extradited to Yavapai County, Arizona.
Congress, Arizona, is located about 80 miles northwest of Phoenix.
Leave a Comment