Las Vegas, NV (KXNT) - Following a two-day preliminary hearing in the Beatty Justice Court, an Arizona man has been bound over to the Tonopah District Court for possible jury trial on 5 counts of DUI Causing Death or Substantial Injury and 5 counts of Reckless Driving Causing Death or Substantial Injury.
Tyler Kennedy faces charges that he was under the influence of methamphetamine and/or fentanyl at the time of the March 27th crash on U.S. 95 between Beatty and Goldfield that killed Michael Durmeier, 39, his fiancée Lauren Starcevich, 38, and his daughter Georgia Durmeier, 12, and left two other children with serious injuries. The victims were traveling from their hometown in Idaho to Las Vegas and the Grand Canyon for a family vacation.
“This was an important step towards getting some measure of justice for people who lost so much,” Nye County District Attorney Chris Arabia said. “I am thankful for the witnesses who came from as far away as Arkansas and Oregon and in many cases had to relive painful memories. I am also proud of the work my team has done on the case. We had to take evidence that presented many challenges and build it into a case that we can take to a jury, and that’s been accomplished.”
Several witnesses gave accounts of the moments leading up to the crash, the crash itself, and the immediate aftermath. A scientific expert testified regarding the likely contents of Kennedy’s blood at the time of the crash.
Kennedy is facing 2 to 20 years for each DUI count and 1-6 years for each Reckless Driving count. He will be arraigned in Tonopah District Court on October 19th.