Sioux Falls, South Dakota – A Beresford man who admitted to killing three people by crashing a pickup was sentenced to three counts of manslaughter. He will serve fifty years in prison.
Hayden Hall, 22, was speeding and high on cocaine when he crashed his pickup in December 2023. Instead of calling for help, Hall fled the accident scene, stole a car, and drove home.
In July, he pleaded guilty to three counts of manslaughter. His sentencing hearing began Wednesday morning. The courtroom was so full that they opened a second room where people could watch the proceedings via Zoom.
Judge Rachel Rasmussen heard testimony from two investigators on Wednesday at the Lincoln County Courthouse, as well as messages sent by one of the passengers in the moments before the crash.
She wrote, “I’m going to die.” “He’s about to crash.” She also stated that Hall was swerving and blowing through stop signs.
There was also evidence that passengers begged Hall to slow down, but he refused.
Before the sentencing, Lincoln County State’s Attorney Tom Wollman told the judge, “This was no accident…” These families will be in grief for the rest of their lives.”
Jordan Desmet of KELOLAND was in the courtroom throughout today’s testimony and sentencing. He’ll have a complete report tonight at ten.
Details of 2023 crash
This case began in December 2023, when three young adults were killed in a pickup truck crash in rural Lincoln County. Hayden Hall, then 20, was the driver and the only survivor of the crash.
It all began on a rural highway about 10 miles northwest of Beresford on December 9, 2023. According to court documents, a pickup ran off the road, flew through the air, landed in a ditch, and rolled. Two passengers died right away: Gerard Muller, 20, and Collin Hlavac, 18.
A third passenger, Kaydence Nygaard, 19, was still alive but died in the arms of a first responder. The driver had already left when authorities arrived.
