Jacob Morton and Kari Frederick have been arrested in connection with a December 2025 street race in Grand Junction, Colorado, that resulted in the death of 63-year-old Gary Descheene. Morton, 21, faces vehicular homicide charges after allegedly striking Descheene while driving a Dodge Challenger at 67 mph. Frederick, 54, who was driving a Toyota Camry, is accused of participating in the speed contest.
On December 11, 2025, around 8:30 p.m., Descheene was walking in a crosswalk when Morton's Dodge Challenger struck him, according to the Grand Junction Police Department. Both drivers had been speeding, with Frederick traveling about 22 mph over the limit and Morton at 67 mph. An arrest affidavit obtained by The Daily Sentinel details how the two engaged in a back-and-forth race, accelerating and passing each other on the road leading to the intersection. Frederick witnessed the crash and remarked to police that it could have been her, though she denied discussing racing with Morton when questioned. Morton admitted to police that he and Frederick went 'tit for tat,' but he gave inconsistent accounts of when the racing began and ended near the crash site. He also confessed to smoking two puffs of marijuana about four hours earlier; his field sobriety test was unsatisfactory, and a blood test showed THC levels at the legal threshold for impairment inference. Both were arrested on April 1, 2026, and charged with engaging in a speed contest and reckless driving. Morton faces additional vehicular homicide counts. They posted bond and were released from Mesa County Detention Center. Morton is due in court on April 8, Frederick on April 24.