Estimated read time: 1-2 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
MONTICELLO — Prosecutors have filed manslaughter charges against a Texas man, alleging that his recklessness caused a crash south of Moab last month that killed three people and injured four others.
David Lewis is charged in 7th District Court with three counts of manslaughter, a second-degree felony. The charges stem from an Aug. 16 crash on state Route 191 in San Juan County.
Lewis, 28, of Saginaw, Texas, was at the wheel of a Nissan Maxima when he tried to pass a tractor-trailer truck in a no-passing zone and touched off a four-car pileup, according to the Utah Highway Patrol.
Lewis' Nissan slammed into a Hyundai in the oncoming lane, then spun down the road, where it was struck on the passenger door by a Cadillac. The Cadillac went off the shoulder and came to a stop.
A Toyota traveling behind the Hyundai avoided the collision, but was hit by debris.
Juan Vidales, 54, also of Saginaw, was sitting in the front passenger seat of Lewis' car and was killed in the crash. His daughter and Lewis' girlfriend, 27-year-old Stephanie Vidales, of Saginaw, was in the back passenger seat. She was ejected from the car and also died.
A passenger in the Cadillac, 69-year-old Arthur Loewen of Perry, Ga., was killed as well.
Four other people, including Stephanie Vidales' 10-year-old daughter, were injured in the crash and taken to area hospitals.
Lewis is scheduled to make his first court appearance Oct. 21.
