A just-married bride was killed when a driver traveling the wrong way on a Utah interstate plowed into her car over the weekend, authorities said.
The Utah Department of Public Safety identified the bride, who was married Saturday, as Angelica Jimenez Dhondup, 26, of Salt Lake City.
The driver, Manaure Gonzalez-Rea, 36, is accused of automobile homicide, failure to remain at an accident involving death, driving under the influence and other crimes.
NBC affiliate KSL of Salt Lake City reported that Dhondup — still wearing her purple wedding dress — had just dropped off some wedding gifts with a younger cousin and was returning to a party when the collision occurred early Saturday on Interstate 15.
“She was not even a mile away,” a friend, Tayler Craft, told the station.
Authorities said Gonzalez-Rea, driving a silver Toyota pickup, was in the northbound lane and crashed head-on into Dhondup’s sedan, killing her. Dhondup’s 20-year-old passenger was taken to a hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
Police said that when a third driver stopped to help, Gonzalez-Rea stole the person’s truck and was quickly apprehended by state troopers.
It wasn’t immediately clear whether he has an attorney.
Craft told KSL that Dhondup made one last phone call to her sister.
“She called her and told her that she got into a wreck and she was hurt bad and she couldn’t breathe,” Craft said.