A devastating Arizona crash is back in the spotlight after authorities arrested a woman they say crossed the center line of a major highway and slammed head-on into a minivan, killing three people and badly injuring four children.
Amy Lynn Mickelson, 48, is now facing a long list of charges, including three counts of second-degree murder, seven counts of aggravated assault, two counts of felony endangerment, criminal damage, and aggravated DUI.
Even more shocking, the deadly wreck happened back in December 2024.
According to the Arizona Department of Public Safety, the crash unfolded around 2 p.m. on December 7, 2024, along U.S. 93 near milepost 175 in the area of Congress, Arizona, about 80 miles northwest of Phoenix.
Investigators say Mickelson was driving a BMW sedan southbound on the highway when, while allegedly impaired, she crossed into oncoming traffic and crashed head-on into a Toyota Sienna minivan carrying multiple people.
The impact was catastrophic.
Authorities say three people inside the minivan were killed at the scene. Local reports identified them as a 51-year-old driver, a 44-year-old passenger, and a 17-year-old passenger.
Four other occupants in the minivan, all children between the ages of 5 and 16, survived but suffered serious injuries and were rushed for medical treatment.
Witnesses described a horrifying scene in the immediate aftermath.
One witness told local media she ran to help the people trapped in the minivan, while her boyfriend pulled Mickelson from the BMW just moments before it burst into flames. Aerial footage from the scene reportedly showed the sedan engulfed in fire, with heavy smoke rising into the air.
Photos from the crash site showed both vehicles completely destroyed.
After the wreck, detectives with the department’s Vehicular Crimes Unit investigated what happened and concluded that Mickelson caused the crash. But by then, authorities say, she had left Arizona and started living in Utah.
That’s where the case took another dramatic turn.
With help from the U.S. Marshals Service, law enforcement tracked Mickelson down and arrested her outside a convenience store in Salt Lake City on March 19, 2026. She was booked into the Weber County Jail, held without bond, and later extradited back to Yavapai County, Arizona.
Authorities have not publicly specified what substance they believe caused her alleged impairment.