Arizona Woman in BMW Kills 3 in Head-On Crash With Minivan Carrying Children

A woman is being accused of crossing the center line of a highway in Arizona and smashing head-on into a minivan, killing three people inside in the crash. The incident occurred in 2024, but authorities recently arrested the woman responsible.

A 48-year-old Amy Lynn Mickelson is facing multiple charges, including 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.

On December 7, 2024, Mickelson was driving her BMW sedan on the southbound U.S. 93 near milepost 175 in the area of Congress, Arizona, the agency said in a press release. At the same time, a group of people were traveling in a Toyota Sienna minivan on the highway.

Authorities confirmed that Mickelson was “impaired,” although they did not specify what caused the impairment.

At around 2 p.m. on December 7, 2024, Mickelson crossed the line dividing the two sides of the road and “struck” the minivan head-on.

A witness ,Christina Lane, told local outlet AZ Family that she rushed to help the people in the minivan while her boyfriend reassured the woman from the BMW moments before it was engulfed in flames. Aerial video from the scene shows the sedan burning, with a large amount of smoke billowing into the air.

The BMW was badly wrecked, while photos of the crash’s aftermath showed the minivan was also destroyed.

Three people in the minivan were pronounced dead at the scene. The Arizona Department of Public Safety has not publicly identified them.

AZ Family reported that the driver was 51 years old, while the two passengers who died were 44 and 17 years old.

“The remaining four occupants, all minor children between the ages of 5 and 16, were transported for medical treatment of serious physical injury,” the agency said. Authorities expect them to survive.

Detectives with the department's Vehicular Crimes Unit responded to the crash and investigated its cause. They determined that Mickelson caused the crash and said she fled Arizona and established residence in Utah.

With the help of the U.S. Marshal Service, law enforcement located and arrested Mickelson outside a convenience store in Salt Lake City, Utah, on March 19.