Utah Highway Patrol says fatigue is suspected after a southbound pickup crossed the center line on U.S. 89 and struck a Wasatch Academy bus head-on.
EPHRAIM, UT — A 43-year-old pickup driver was killed and 18 people on a school bus were hurt Friday night when the southbound truck crossed into oncoming traffic on U.S. 89, grazed one northbound bus and collided head-on with a second about five miles north of this Sanpete County city, authorities said.
Troopers said the crash happened around 8:30 p.m. on Dec. 12 as two Wasatch Academy buses traveled north after a school activity. Investigators believe the pickup drifted left of center and clipped the first bus, which was carrying 19 students who were not injured, before striking the second bus carrying 17 students and a driver. All 18 on the second bus were taken to hospitals with injuries ranging from minor to critical. By Sunday night, most students had been released, with a small number still hospitalized as the investigation continued.
The Utah Highway Patrol identified the pickup driver as Melvin Beckstead, 43, who died at the scene. Troopers said early findings point to fatigued driving. “Drowsy driving can be as dangerous as impairment,” UHP Trooper Takesha Durrant said, adding that crash reconstruction would confirm speeds, impact angles and lane positions. The second bus’s driver and 17 students were transported by ground and air ambulances to regional hospitals; two were flown in critical condition. The first bus pulled to the shoulder with damage along its side and remained with students until administrators arrived.
U.S. 89 in that stretch is a two-lane highway bordered by open fields and driveways leading to farms and homes between Mount Pleasant and Ephraim. Photos from the scene showed heavy front-end damage to the pickup and the second bus, with debris and glass across both lanes and fresh gouge marks where the vehicles met. Wasatch Academy, a boarding school based in nearby Mount Pleasant, said counselors and faculty opened weekend hours and adjusted schedules to support students. The school said no students or staff were killed, but several faced extended recovery plans and follow-up care.
Officials said the buses were following standard convoy procedures and lights were functioning when the pickup entered the northbound lane. Investigators documented skid marks, downloaded the bus’s onboard data and requested medical examiner and toxicology reports for the driver, which are routine after fatal crashes. Troopers said weather and visibility did not appear to be primary factors. Precise speeds were not released. Names of injured students were withheld because they are minors. Hospitals in Sanpete and Utah counties reported treating patients for fractures, lacerations and concussions.
UHP’s crash reconstruction team is leading the probe with assistance from Sanpete County Sheriff’s Office and Ephraim police. The highway reopened to traffic after several hours of closures and alternating one-lane controls. No criminal charges are expected because the pickup driver died. The agency said a preliminary report would be followed by a full reconstruction and toxicology summary. Wasatch Academy planned to resume normal instruction this week with added counseling, and school transportation officials said they would review route timing and escort practices, as is standard after a serious crash.
On Saturday, parents gathered at the school gym where staff posted contact numbers and arranged reunions as students were discharged. “Our drivers train for emergencies, but you never expect this,” said a Wasatch Academy transportation coordinator, who described the second bus driver as “calm and decisive” while helping students evacuate. Along the highway, neighbors set cones to keep cars back from responders as tow trucks loaded the wrecks. By Sunday evening, flowers appeared near a mile marker north of town, and a small group paused at dusk while traffic hummed past.
As of late Monday, most injured students had returned home, with a few still hospitalized for monitoring. State police said final findings, including toxicology, could take several weeks. Funeral arrangements for Beckstead were pending. UHP said it would release any new details when reconstruction is complete.
Author note: Last updated December 17, 2025.