A truck driver who struck and killed five bicyclists in Nevada last week was found to have an “extremely high level” of methamphetamines in his system at the time of the wreck, officials say.
45-year-old box truck driver, Jordan Alexander Barson, is now facing 12 felony charges, including five counts of DUI resulting in death, and reckless driving, for a horrific crash that occurred on December 10th, 60 miles south of Las Vegas, Nevada.
In a police body cam video taken immediately after the incident, Barson can be seen speaking to officers through tears, explaining how he believes he must have fallen asleep.
“I…I guess I fell asleep because I don’t remember I…. I remember hitting those people…” he told investigating officers at the scene.
Later, during an interview at his home in Arizona, Barson admitted to that he “relapsed” and took meth the afternoon before the incident, and so was unable to sleep well prior to driving.
“I’m at a loss for words,” said Clark County District Attorney Steve Wolfson according to the New York Post.
“I have said hundreds of times, to countless people, making the choice to get behind the wheel of a car when you are intoxicated is reckless. Those actions are unacceptable, and they have consequences. We all make decisions every day. This was a choice the defendant made to get behind the wheel while intoxicated,” reported AP News.
Barson was found to have nine times the allowable amount of meth in his system at the time of the crash.
As of Wednesday, December 16th, he was in custody in Kingman, Arizona awaiting extradition in Nevada.