Fatal Nicholas County crash: Driver faces DUI, murder charges

NICHOLAS COUNTY, Ky. (FOX 56) — The driver in the fatal Nicholas County crash on Sunday is facing multiple charges, including murder.

According to the Nicholas County Sheriff’s Office, 24-year-old Cheyeene Clifford was driving his 2013 red Dodge truck around 1:30 a.m. when he ran off the road, struck a tree, and flipped over an embankment. Nathaniel Clay Welch, 17, and Greg Gaunce, 20, were pronounced dead at the scene. Two other passengers were airlifted after sustaining serious injuries.

Clifford told authorities he was not driving the vehicle and could not provide proof of insurance. Upon investigation, authorities found Clifford was driving with a blood alcohol content of .10 and doing so with expired tags according to the arrest citation.

Cheyenne Clifford, 24, has been charged with:

Murder
First-degree assault
Operating a motor vehicle under the influence
No registration plates
Failure to maintain required insurance

“We are heartbroken by the tragic event of the weekend and the death of one of our students, Clay Welch,” Nicholas County Schools superintendent Doug Bechanan wrote on Facebook. “To say he will be missed is an understatement.”