Utah Bride Killed In Tragic Car Crash While Heading Home From Her Wedding

A Utah bride died in a tragic car crash Saturday morning while she was on her way back home from her wedding reception.

The accident occurred near Salt Lake City at around 1.15 a.m. after an allegedly drunk driver traveling along the wrong side of the highway collided with her car, USA Today reported, citing the Utah Highway Patrol.

The Utah Department of Public Safety identified the woman as Angelica Dhondup, 26, according to NBC News. The driver of the other vehicle involved in the crash, identified as Manaure Gonzalez-Rea, 36, was facing multiple charges including driving under the influence, as well as automobile homicide, failure to remain at an accident involving death, and others, NBC News reported.

Dhondup was heading home from her wedding reception with a cousin to drop off some gifts when she met with the accident, according to KSL.com. She was reportedly wearing the purple color wedding dress at that time. "Purple is her favorite color, it always has been," Tayler Craft, Dhondup's best friend, told the outlet.

Authorities said Dhondup was driving her Toyota Corolla when a silver Toyota pickup driving the wrong side of the highway struck her car head-on, killing her. The 20-year-old passenger in the car was rushed to a hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. Craft told KSL that Dhondup called her sister to alert her she was hurt, and that she couldn't breathe.

"She called her and told her that she got into a wreck and she was hurt bad and she couldn't breathe," said Craft.

The accused allegedly left his vehicle after the crash and fled the scene by stealing a good Samaritan's pickup truck, KSL reported.

"He didn't even think, 'Oh, is this person OK? I did something.' He literally injured and murdered somebody," Larissa Torrez, Dhundup's friend, told the outlet.

Craft said Dhondup's well wishers were heartbroken that she never made it back to her groom. "They got to say their 'I Dos,' but they didn't get to live on for everything else," Craft said. "They had a whole life planned out together and he just cut it short."

The bride's family released purple balloons in her honor.