Woman charged after alleged drunk ATV crash and fire injures three

WASHINGTON COUNTY, Utah (ABC4) — A woman from Beaver is behind bars after she crashed an all-terrain vehicle (ATV) while allegedly driving under the influence. One occupant had to be Life-Flighted to the hospital with third-degree burns. 25-year-old Harlie Rae Nelson has been charged with negligently operating a vehicle resulting in serious bodily injury, a third-degree felony; negligently operating a vehicle resulting in injury, a Class A misdemeanor; driving under the influence with a passenger under 16 years old, a Class A misdemeanor; reckless endangerment, a Class A misdemeanor; and a license plate violation. According to court documents, the Washington County Sheriff's Office responded to an ATV accident at Sand Mountain on Sunday night. When a deputy arrived, he found that the vehicle was "engulfed in flames" and four individuals had been injured. Documents say the ATV "had jumped approximately 15 feet from a dune to flat ground," injuring the occupants and sparking a fire. One of the occupants of the ATV had to be transported to a Las Vegas burn center by Life Flight after suffering third-degree burns. The driver was identified as Nelson, who reportedly sustained fractured vertebrae and abdominal pain. An 8-year-old who was on the ATV when it crashed received a suspected neck injury and abrasions, and another occupant on the ATV had some facial trauma. While at the scene, the sheriff's deputy allegedly noted that Nelson had bloodshot eyes and an odor of alcohol. Witnesses confirmed that she had been drinking throughout the day before the crash. Nelson admitted to drinking and driving, law enforcement says. She was arrested and booked into the Washington County Jail shortly after midnight on Monday.