On Monday, December 5, 2022, the Honorable Debra Phelan of the Yavapai County Superior Court sentenced Jonathan Eugene Floyd, 44, to a total 58 years in the Arizona State Prison.

Floyd was found guilty by a Yavapai County Jury on October 28, 2022, of two counts of Second-Degree Murder, four counts of Aggravated Assault, two counts of Endangerment, and one count of Criminal Damage.

The charges stem from a fatal three vehicle collision that occurred in the early morning hours of Saturday, October 3, 2020. At that time, Floyd was driving southbound from the Las Vegas area on a remote portion of U.S. Highway 93 in Yavapai County. Near milepost 175, Floyd crossed the double yellow line which separated the highway and entered the northbound lane, first striking a commercial vehicle. Floyd then slammed into a family van carrying a married couple and their five children.

According to Deputy Yavapai County Attorney Kristen Sharifi, “To avoid Floyd, the driver of the van took evasive action by turning his steering wheel sharply to the right. Despite this heroic effort, Floyd violently smashed into the family van. When the van came to rest in the middle of the dark desert, the family learned the left side of the van had been destroyed, instantly killing two of the five children and injuring the other members of the family.”

The Arizona Department of Safety, Highway Patrol and the Vehicular Crimes Unit responded to the devastating scene. Floyd’s blood was obtained, and test results determined he was impaired due to alcohol and medications at the time of the collision.

Polk stated: “This lengthy prison sentence should send a strong message to impaired drivers, and I hope it brings some measure of closure to the family who suffered this unthinkable tragedy.”