UHP IDs victims, suspect arrested after Logan Canyon crash that killed 3

Logan Canyon
Photo: Utah Highway Patrol

CACHE COUNTY, Utah, March 30, 2023 (Gephardt Daily) — An Idaho man has been arrested after a head-on collision in Logan Canyon that killed three people, critically injured a third, and caused serious injuries to a baby.

Arrested was 29-year-old Kylan H. Romrell, from Montpelier.

The crash happened at about 3:20 p.m. Wednesday when a southbound Kia Rio and a northbound Ford Excursion collided near milepost 448.

Two people died at the scene.

“The 21-year-old female driver of the Rio is deceased at the scene, as well as the 24-year-old male front seat passenger,” Sgt. Cameron Roden told Gephardt Daily, adding a baby in the Rio was transported with “serious but non-life-threatening injuries.”

The Rio had two additional occupants.

“One was flown, and the other was transported by ground. It has been reported that one of those has passed away,” Roden said. “That means that this is a triple fatal.”

The third person who died was a 17-year-old girl transported by ground ambulance to an area hospital. An adult male passenger transported by air to a hospital has not died, according to the latest available information.

UHP has now identified the victims killed as Garden City residents Jordan Erickson, 21, and Jerika J. Erickson, 17, and Dakota Mejia, 24.

Romrell, the driver and lone occupant of the Ford Excursion SUV, was uninjured, and faces charges of:

  • -Three counts of negligently operating a vehicle resulting in death, a second-degree felony
  • — Negligently operating a vehicle resulting in serious bodily injury, a third-degree felony
  • — Driving under the influence with prior felony DUI, a third-degree felony
  • — Possession of a dangerous weapon by a restricted person, a third-degree felony
  • — Open container, drinking alcohol in a vehicle, a class C misdemeanor
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Photo Utah Highway Patrol

Romrell told an investigating UHP officer he was alone in the vehicle, and he “looked up, and his airbag went off. I asked him if he had consumed alcohol and he stated that he had not. Kylan was wet at the waist as if he had urinated himself.”

Romrell had a cut on one hand, and commented that his left knee and ankle hurt. He was checked on scene by a medic, but refused any kind of treatment, his affidavit says.

“I stayed with Kylan who was upset and at times would be extremely frustrated and kick or throw his hat down,” says the arrest document, filed by an officer of the Utah Highway Patrol.

“At one point, Kylan began to yell and shout and walk away from the scene. At that point, I took Kylan into custody. I walked him down to my patrol car as Life Flight was finishing loading a patient from the other vehicle.”

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An Idaho man has been arrested after a head on collision in Logan Canyon that killed three people critically injured a third and caused serious injuries to a baby

Romrell was transported to the Rich County Sheriff’s Office substation in Garden City. A trooper searching Romrell’s SUV “located multiple open containers in the Excursion that Kylan was driving. Many beer cans unopened and one at least that was open and smashed and multiple bottles which were open. The alcohol was a Twisted Tea brand.

“Inside the vehicle was also a Ruger .243 rifle with a spent cartridge in the chamber. As we walked into the Sheriff substation, Kylan was unsteady, wobbly, and lethargic. While inside the substation and in a controlled environment, I administered field sobriety tests to Kylan.”

The officer skipped the walking and turning test due to Romrell’s leg injury.

Eye examinations showed many signs associated with intoxication, the probable cause statement says. He also had some problems reciting the alphabet. The officer advised Romrell he was going to be arrested for DUI. The suspect agreed to blood and alcohol tests. The breath test resulted in a .216 BrAC, which is more than four times Utah’s legal limit for intoxication.

“I transported Kylan to the Cache County Jail where he was booked on multiple charges,” the arrest document says. “According to a criminal history, Kylan has already been convicted of a felony DUI charge and has been arrested
for DUI multiple times within the last 10 years.”

Romrell was ordered held without bail.

Photo Utah Highway Patrol

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