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Idaho man charged in fatal Logan Canyon crash has history of driving under the influence

Courtesy of Utah Highway Patrol

CACHE COUNTY, Utah (ABC4) — The Idaho man charged in the fatal Logan Canyon crash that killed three people and injured two has a history of driving under the influence, according to court documents.

Kylan H. Romrell, 29, of Montpelier, Idaho, was charged on Thursday, March 31, at the First District Court in Cache County with three counts of negligently operating a vehicle resulting in death, all second-degree felonies; negligently operating a vehicle resulting in serious bodily injuries, a third-degree felony; negligently operating motor vehicle, a class A misdemeanor; and driving under the influence of alcohol, a third-degree felony.

In 2019, Romrell was convicted of driving under the influence and served approximately 62 days in Rich County Jail. Rich County authorities reportedly stopped him on State Route 30 near Garden City for speeding in January 2019 and found him with “an open beer can at his feet.”

Deputies also discovered Romrell to be an alcohol-restricted driver and an ignition interlock-restricted driver, which means Romrell was supposed to have a device designed to prevent his vehicle from starting unless he gives breath samples to test for alcohol levels. Officials say Romrell did not have an ignition interlock device installed in his car.

His breath alcohol content taken during the traffic stop was reportedly 0.155, about three times higher than Utah’s legal limit of 0.05.

Two years earlier, he was convicted of driving under the influence in August 2017. He was fined over a thousand dollars and sentenced to two days of jail time.

On Wednesday, March 29, Romrell was involved in a collision with a Kia Rio on US-89 in Logan Canyon while driving a Ford Excursion. He sustained minor injuries and reportedly told officers he did not drink any alcohol. According to the affidavit, his breath alcohol content was 0.216.

Three of the five occupants in the Kia Rio were killed in the crash. A baby in the Kia was taken to the hospital with serious but non-life-threatening injuries while another man sitting in the back of the Kia sustained severe injuries.

Preliminary investigation reveals both vehicles were “hugging or on the centerline” and then the Kia drifted into the oncoming lane and collided head-on with the Ford, according to the Utah Highway Patrol.

The crash remains under investigation, and fault has not been determined, officials said.

Romrell is currently being held without bail at the Cache County Jail.