Partially-Empty Liquor Bottle Found in Car That Caused Fatal Crash, Death of Casper Three-Year-Old

Authorities say a partially-empty bottle of alcohol was found in the car that sped into an intersection near downtown Casper nearly three weeks ago, hitting a pickup truck and ultimately resulting in the deaths of three people, including a three-year-old girl.

Douglas W. Arthur, 39, was driving a 2001 Ford Focus on the evening of July 6, with 34-year-old Lyle Tsinnijinnie in the passenger seat.

Near the intersection of Salt Creek Highway and West Yellowstone Highway at about 9 p.m., a Wyoming Highway Patrol trooper tried to stop the Focus for speeding. The trooper was assisted by deputies from the Natrona County Sheriff's Office, according to a search warrant filed in Natrona County Circuit Court.

When the trooper activated his emergency lights, the Ford took off at a high rate of speed. The trooper called off the pursuit in the area of NAPA Auto Parts, about four-tenths of a mile west of the intersection of First and Poplar.

The Ford sped into the intersection, running a red light at speeds of roughly 70 mph and crashing into the passenger side doors of a 2001 Chevrolet Silverado driven by Sean Dorman. Two of Dorman's children were in the pickup with him.

An accident reconstructionist notes in his affidavit that the traffic light for Dorman was green. The Ford entered the intersection after the light for its direction of travel had turned red.

Arthur and Tsinnijinnie died at the scene.

Dorman and his two children were seriously injured. Dorman's eight-year-old son reportedly suffered a broken arm, and was later released from the hospital.

Three-year-old Lillian Dorman spent the last two weeks of her life at a hospital in Colorado. With her parents by her side, she was taken off life support Thursday, July 20.

On the night of the crash, as officers were helping remove the bodies of Arthur and Tsinnijinnie from the Ford, a partially-empty bottle of Jagermeister was found in the center console area, between the driver and passenger seats.

It is unclear to whom the bottle belonged, or whether either man in the Ford had consumed any alcohol that day.

Two pill bottles were also retrieved from the Focus during a subsequent search of the car. The search warrant return indicates neither ownership of the pill bottles, nor what substance -- if any -- was contained in those bottles.

Police are awaiting toxicology results as they continue to investigate the events that led to the fatal crash. Those results are not expected for at least a month, and in the meantime, investigators are not making any assumptions.

"We can't jump to conclusions," Casper Police Sgt. Mike Ogden told K2 Radio News on Tuesday.

A fundraiser to benefit the Dorman family is set for Friday, Aug. 4, at the Black Gold Grille.