Tragedy as newly engaged Utah couple are killed in horror motorcycle crash with 'drunk' tractor-trailer driver traveling wrong way down the road

A newly engaged Utah couple were tragically killed along with a friend in a horror head-on collision with an allegedly drunk tractor trailer driver. 

Owen Hart, 22, his fiancé Athena Faye Taylor, 21, and friend Jeremy Gebo, 44, were killed on March 23 while riding motorcycles on Route 163 in Laughlin, Nevada. 

They were allegedly hit by driver Claude Rafiki, 29, who is accused of drunkenly veering into oncoming traffic. He has been charged with three counts of DUI resulting in death.

Tributes poured in for the deceased, with a GoFundMe for the engaged couple saying they were 'just beginning their love story' and 'more than soulmates - they were best friends.' 

Owen Hart, 22, his fiancé Athena Faye Taylor, 21, (pictured together)

Driver Claude Rafiki, 29, is accused of drunkenly veering into oncoming traffic and charged with three counts of DUI resulting in death

The couple's friend Jeremy Gebo, 44, was also tragically killed in the collision 

On Wednesday, a Nevada judge set Rafiki's bail at $500,000, and ordered him to not drink or drive if he should post bond, reports 8NewsNow. 

Although the tragic crash occurred on Saturday, his court proceedings were reportedly delayed by several days as the courts were required to find a translator for Rafiki, because he only speaks Kinyarwanda, a central African dialect. 

According to the reported charges, cops believe he had been travelling down the wrong side of the road before striking the three motorcyclists.  

Owen Hart's devastated family told 8NewsNow that he had only recently turned 22, and had ambitions to begin a career as a trucker. 

The motorcycle ride that saw him lose his life was part of a birthday celebration, they added. 

Hart and Taylor were 'just beginning their love story' and 'more than soulmates,' according to their GoFundMe

Hart's family said that he had only recently turned 22, and had ambitions to begin a career as a trucker 

Hart and Taylor had gotten engaged at Christmas last year, and friend Caleb Gwilliam wrote in the fundraiser that they were 'taken from this world too soon.' 

'They were not just "soon to be" partners in life, but also in their love for adventure, the outdoors, and the thrill of the open road and partners in spirit,' the fundraiser, for funeral costs, said. 

'On Christmas 2023, Owen asked Athena to spend forever with him. This was to be just the beginning of their love story, filled with dreams of a bright future. 

'Owen and Athena were more than soulmates; they were best friends, seeking adventure and sharing their love for life with everyone around them.

'Owen and Athena's spirit and love will live on our hearts.'