A truck driver who drove on the wrong side of a Nevada highway and killed three motorcyclists will serve four to 10 years in prison, a judge ruled Wednesday.
Claude Rafiki, 29, was behind the wheel during the horrific crash on March 23, which killed recently-engaged couple Owen Hart, 22, and Athena Taylor, 21, as well as father Jeremy Gebo, 44.
Rafiki, an African immigrant who obtained US citizenship in 2021, pleaded guilty in June to three counts of reckless driving resulting in death.
Prosecutors had argued for the four to 10 year sentence in prison, which was the maximum amount agreed to in Rafiki’s plea deal. After victim impact statements were delivered by the victims’ families, an emotional Judge Joe Hardy agreed to put Rafiki away for the maximum term.
Terrifying dashcam video from Rafiki’s 18-wheeler showed him veering over the yellow center line onto the wrong side of road for nearly 30 seconds.
The motorcyclists Claude Rafiki would soon hit are seen driving behind the white Chevy pulling a trailer
The dashcam captures the split second before Rafiki plows through the motorcyclists
Pictured: Rafiki reacts to victim impact statements from the families. He apologized and prayed they would one day forgive him
In court Wednesday, Prosecutor Yu Meng said Rafiki was ‘driving a nuclear bomb on the road.’
On the day of the crash, Rafiki was driving on State Route 163 near Laughlin, a small gambling town about 90 miles south of Las Vegas.
When he swerved into the opposite lanes of traffic, he narrowly missed a gray pickup truck.
After dodging the truck, Rafiki inexplicably stayed on the wrong side of the road for another 15 seconds until he rammed into Hart, Taylor and Gebo, all of whom were on motorcycles.
Several other motorcyclists were a part of the ride, including Hart’s parents who were celebrating his 22nd birthday.
They had to witness their young son’s death.
Pictured: Owen Hart, 22, and Athena Taylor, 21. The couple was killed when Rafiki slammed into them on the road
Taylor shows off her engagement ring as her boyfriend Hart stands next to her
Jeremy Gebo is pictured getting kissed by his daughters. Gebo was the third person killed in the crash
Gebo was part of the motorcycle crew that was driving on State Route 163 near Laughlin on the day of the crash
‘I feel guilty for leaving my son on the side of the road of the scene of the crime while it was being investigated — it all feels so wrong and unnatural,’ Melissa Hart, Owen’s mother, told the court on Wednesday.
‘I get stuck imagining how frightened they were, if they suffered, a million questions and what ifs,’ she added.
The courtroom was packed with all of the victims’ families, and it was the first time Rafiki got to hear from them.
‘March 23, 2024, is the day our families’ lives were shattered and our hearts were broken,’ Hart’s aunt, Cindy Russell, said on the stand.
Nicole Taylor, Athena Taylor’s mother, had harsher words for the truck driver.
‘He took three lives, and he gets to walk away unscathed,’ she said. ‘I hope this lays on his shoulders every single day of his miserable life.’
Gebo’s daughter, Natia Reed, also spoke.
‘The way he passed was so sudden, there wasn’t any time to say goodbye,’ she said.
Rafiki apologized to the families in court and expressed his hope that they would one day forgive him.
‘I pray for you — for forgiveness,’ Rafiki said.
Melissa Hart, Owen’s mother, is pictured bringing a tissue to her face as she speaks about the guilt she felt ‘for leaving my son on the side of the road of the scene of the crime while it was being investigated — it all feels so wrong and unnatural’
Nicole Taylor, Athena Taylor’s mother, had harsher words for the truck driver, telling him she hoped what he did ‘lays on his shoulders every single day of his miserable life.’
Gebo’s daughter, Natia Reed, also spoke, talking about how ‘sudden’ the death of her father was
Prosecutor Yu Meng says Rafiki was ‘driving a nuclear bomb on the road’ on the day of the crash. Rafiki is seen looking at him
Rafiki had a valid Michigan commercial driver’s license, but his two-year medical certification was set to expire on March 24 – the day after the crash, according to documents obtained by 8 News Now.
Michigan drivers are required to submit an updated medical clearance before it expires, something Rafiki never did. His CDL hasn’t been valid since March 24.
His medical certification didn’t include any health restrictions that would preclude him from driving, but prosecutors revealed that Rafiki took medication for epilepsy.
A Nevada State Police Highway Patrol trooper also pointed out that Rafiki was driving in the No. 1 travel lane – the one closest to the center line – and not in the No. 2 lane as mandated for semi-trucks.
Meng said Rafiki’s dashcam recorded him weaving on the road for 10 minutes before the brutal collision.
Even more damning, Meng added that he believes Rafiki doctored his logbooks to make it appear as though he was switching off with another when he was the only one driving.
‘Even though he’s a hardworking man and he’s trying to do this, it’s at the expense of everyone else’s safety,’ Meng said.
To this day, investigators don’t know the true cause of the crash.
The judge has ordered Rafiki to pay a $6,000 fine, though that’s likely not the end of his financial penalty, as the families may file civil lawsuits against him.