A case in which a Columbus man is accused of committing motor vehicle homicide was bound over to Box Butte County District Court, where pleas of not guilty were entered through a written arraignment and waiver of physical appearance.
Dalton Rasmussen, 21, of Columbus is facing several charges in Box Butte County District Court spawning from an incident that occurred on Nov. 20, 2021. According to the Application and Affidavit for Arrest Warrant, at 12:09 a.m. on Nov. 20, 2021, the Nebraska State Patrol received the report of a two-vehicle crash on Highway 87 near mile marker 23. A deputy with the Sheridan County Sheriff’s Office told the state trooper who responded to the report that there had been a fatality. A person, later identified as Kyle Edwards, who was driving a Nissan Juke, was pronounced deceased.
According to the Application, the accident was discovered by Edwards’ wife, Destiny Fortin, who was traveling behind Edwards in a separate vehicle. The other vehicle involved in the crash, a 2006 Chevrolet pickup, was on fire. It had been occupied by Dalton Rasmussen and Ty Borer. They had been stopped by another person after they had, according to the Application, allegedly tried to flee the scene in another vehicle.
An investigation into the crash showed that the Nissan was traveling northbound and that the pickup was traveling southbound.
“The area of impact and direction of travel for both vehicles indicated that the southbound Chevrolet pickup had crossed the centerline and struck the northbound Nissan in the northbound lane,” the Application states.
The trooper made contact with Rasmussen and Borer. The trooper noted that Rasmussen’s speech was slurred. He observed an injury to his left leg. Borer, the trooper explained, appeared to have no injuries.
The Sheridan County Deputy and two Box Butte County Deputies told the trooper that they could detect the odor of alcohol coming from both Rasmussen and Borer. Rasmussen and Borer were transported to Box Butte General Hospital, where other troopers obtained blood draws from them.
Later investigation of the crash, the trooper explained, showed evidence that Rasmussen had been driving the pickup at the time of the wreck. The trooper interviewed Fortin on Dec. 2, 2021. She told the trooper that she had parked her vehicle facing north to search for her husband. She noted that other people had stopped at the scene, and that while one of the people who had stopped was performing CPR on Edwards, Fortin saw her vehicle turn around and travel south in the east ditch before being stopped by another individual.
Fortin told the trooper that she made contact with Rasmussen and Borer, noting that Rasmussen was seated in the passenger seat of her vehicle, and that the driver’s seat was occupied by Borer.
On Dec. 8, 2021, the results of Rasmussen’s blood test became available and showed that his blood alcohol level was .074 in the hours following the accident.
Rasmussen was charged with motor vehicle homicide, a class 3A felony, criminal attempt of leaving the scene of an accident, a class 4 felony, minor in possession of alcoholic liquor, a class 3 misdemeanor, willful reckless driving, a class 3 misdemeanor, driving left of center, an infraction, and a zero tolerance violation, an infraction.
A status hearing in Box Butte County District Court is set for later this month.