A year of tears in Sanpete County from losing too many, too young, too soon

Too many young lives were lost to sudden tragedy in Sanpete County and its surrounding communities in 2025. Each death sent shockwaves through tight-knit networks of families, schools, and neighbors; they also prompted extraordinary outpourings of community support.

The first tragedy struck March 14, when Allyson “Ally” Rasmussen, 12, of Ephraim, died unexpectedly from a spontaneous hemorrhage of her brain.

The Ephraim Middle School sixth-grader, whose father Josh Rasmussen has taught music at the school for over two decades, was described by her family as having “just the right amount of spice” balanced by “a loving heart, beaming smile, and tight squeezes.”

An estimated 500 to 1,000 people gathered at Canyon View Park for a candlelight vigil the night after her death, and her funeral drew similar numbers. Pink and blue ribbons (her favorite colors) lined U.S. 89 from south Manti to north Ephraim. At least three schools joined Ephraim Middle School in wearing pink and blue to show support.

Summer brought another loss. On July 16, Xander Darrell Vincent, age 10, of Gunnison, was struck and killed by a car while riding his bicycle at the intersection of Main Street and 100 South.

Known as a “mathlete” and Cristiano Ronaldo fan who swapped Pokémon cards with classmates, Xander left behind parents, three siblings and a grieving community. A makeshift memorial of stuffed animals, letters and blue balloons appeared at the intersection.

Hundreds attended his funeral, including members of the motorcycle group Full Throttle Full Mag, who escorted the procession from Gunnison to Ephraim Cemetery.

The Thanksgiving holiday weekend brought the year’s most recent tragedy. Leo Ray Shepherd, age 18, who grew up in Moroni and graduated from Pleasant Creek School in March, and his girlfriend Anneka Wilson, age 17, of Springville, died early Saturday, Nov. 29, when their vehicle was struck head-on by a wrong-way driver on I-15 in Salt Lake City.

The couple, who had been together three years, were traveling to Wilson’s family farm in Idaho for Thanksgiving. The driver has been charged with automobile homicide; his blood-alcohol content measured nearly three times Utah’s legal limit.

Pleasant Creek Principal Steven Solen captured the feeling of sorrow that has blanketed Sanpete County this year. “[This] just crushed us,” Solen told FOX 13. “It’s been really hard, especially in a small community like Sanpete. It affects everybody.”