Spanish Fork man charged with manslaughter in fiery 2022 crash

SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4) — A 22-year-old Spanish Fork man has been taken into custody, charged with manslaughter in a fiery crash on I-80 that took the life of a 15-year-old victim in 2022.

Court records show Ricardo Aceves was booked into the Salt Lake County Metro Jail on Monday, April 7, after he was arrested on a warrant for second-degree felony manslaughter.

Prosecutors claim Aceves was behind the wheel of the BMW that crashed while racing other vehicles at speeds of 142 miles per hour along I-80. The BMW reportedly lost control when one of its tires separated, sending the car airborne. During the crash, the BMW crossed the median into on-coming traffic and caught fire before it crashed into a Ford Explorer, coming to a rest on its roof.

Aceves and another passenger in the BMW were ejected from the car during the crash, while a third passenger crawled away from the wreckage, according to court documents. A fourth passenger – identified only as a 15-year-old male in court records – was killed in the fiery crash.

(Images courtesy: Utah Highway Patrol)

The passengers of the Ford Explorer were all able to get to safety before flames fully engulfed their car.

In the years following the crash, investigators were able to confirm that Aceves was leaving Fuel Fest in Tooele County, an automotive festival featuring racing, live music, and more. Investigators were also working to repair a GoPro found in the BMW after the crash.

Footage from the GoPro allegedly confirmed Aceves was behind the wheel, driving “erratically and recklessly” as he entered I-80, according to court records.

Utah Highway Patrol troopers said Aceves had been driving on a suspended license at the time of the crash and should not have been behind the wheel. In the two years since the crash, Aceves has been cited for driving on a suspended license and without valid registration.

“The Defendant has shown little concern for his actions or the community by continuing to drive without a valid license and obtaining three new citations after this accident,” prosecutors allege in charging documents.

Aceves has been ordered to be held without bail, pending a pretrial hearing set for Friday, April 18, 2025.