Police have stated that a 22-year-old man was driving drunk when his SUV rolled over near Colorado City, killing the man and four teenagers, The Arizona Republic reports.
According to the Mohave County Sheriff’s Office, an autopsy showed that Carl Otto Nathaniel Holm had a blood alcohol concentration of 0.186 percent at the time of the accident, over twice the legal limit.
Police believe that the five young people were out celebrating a birthday on the night of the incident. At around 11 p.m. on March 6, Holm was reportedly speeding in a Chevy Suburban. While trying to make a turn at a high speed, Holm reportedly lost control and the SUV rolled over.
Five people were ejected from the vehicle and killed. One person remained in the vehicle and survived the crash. According to authorities, 18-year-old Nakita Timpson was still trapped in the vehicle when Mohave County Sheriff’s deputies located the SUV the following afternoon. Deputies reportedly found beer cans strewn around the Suburban.
Under Arizona’s criminal code, manslaughter is defined as “recklessly causing the death of another person.” Prosecutors often charge individuals with vehicular manslaughter after they kill someone while driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs. The standard for a manslaughter charge is whether the person’s conduct was a “gross deviation from the standard of conduct that a reasonable person would observe in the situation.”
Had Carl Otto Nathaniel Holm survived, he would likely be charged with vehicular manslaughter for the drunken crash that killed his four friends.
Related Resources:
- Find a Phoenix DUI Attorney (FindLaw)
- Hildale Driver in Crash that Killed 5 Was Drunk, Police Say (The Salt Lake Tribune)
- Arizona DUI Laws (FindLaw)
- DUI Charges (FindLaw)
ShareThis
