A Farmington man has been charged with great bodily harm by vehicle after a crash involving Diné Missing and Murdered Indigenous Relatives advocate Evangeline “Vangie” Randall-Shorty in Kirtland that investigators allege occurred while he was driving under the influence, according to court records.

Kolton Chaly Begay, 18, is charged with one third-degree felony, two petty misdemeanors and one misdemeanor stemming from the Aug. 16 crash. San Juan Pulse independently confirmed Randall-Shorty was the pedestrian injured in the crash. All charges are allegations based on court records, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.

According to the probable cause statement, San Juan County Sheriff’s Office Cpl. Brittany Allison was dispatched at approximately 7:39 a.m. to the area of Roads 6360 and 6400 for a reported vehicle-versus-pedestrian crash.

According to the affidavit, Randall-Shorty was receiving medical treatment in a private driveway near the roadway, while another person was attending to an injured dog nearby.

Allison reported observing a GMC Canyon pickup facing southbound on the shoulder of the northbound lanes of Road 6400. According to the affidavit, the pickup was parked lopsided on top of brush.

According to the probable cause statement, another deputy identified Begay as the driver. The deputy reported that Begay appeared shaken and asked whether the person involved in the crash was OK.

According to the affidavit, Begay told a deputy he had fallen asleep while driving. When asked where he had been before the crash, Begay told deputies he had been at a friend’s house. Court records state Begay told investigators he had last consumed alcohol about two days earlier.

Before administering standardized field sobriety tests, Allison reported that Begay said he had graduated from high school in May and was not currently attending college. According to the affidavit, Begay also reported wearing glasses because he could not see far away but said he was not wearing them at the time of the crash.

During the horizontal gaze nystagmus test, Allison reported observing four of six clues. According to the affidavit, the deputy also reported observing three clues during the walk-and-turn test and two clues during the one-leg stand test.

Allison subsequently arrested Begay on suspicion of DWI, according to the probable cause statement. The affidavit states Begay agreed to provide a breath sample under New Mexico’s Implied Consent law.

According to an Intoxilyzer Alcohol Analyzer report filed with the court, breath testing conducted at 8:54 a.m. and 8:56 a.m. produced results of 0.10 and 0.09 grams of alcohol per 210 liters of breath, respectively.

The probable cause statement states Randall-Shorty suffered injuries investigators characterized as great bodily injury and was transported to San Juan Regional Medical Center before later being flown to Albuquerque.

Investigators also reported that Randall-Shorty had been walking with a large dog when the crash occurred. According to the affidavit, the dog was injured in the crash and later died from its injuries at the scene. The filed charges include one misdemeanor count of cruelty to animals.

Randall-Shorty’s MMDR Advocacy

Randall-Shorty has publicly advocated for Missing and Murdered Indigenous People following the death of her son, Zachariah Juwaun Shorty.

Navajo Times reported in April that Randall-Shorty participated in the Ride for the Missing, an event organized to raise awareness for Missing and Murdered Indigenous People. The ride traveled from Farmington toward Albuquerque through communities including Kirtland, Bloomfield, Cuba, San Ysidro and Bernalillo.

According to Navajo Times, Randall-Shorty carried a poster of her son during the April 25 event. Zachariah Shorty went missing in 2020 and was later found dead, and his family continued seeking answers in the years that followed.

Randall-Shorty’s advocacy has also included work with families affected by missing and murdered Indigenous relatives. Her advocacy and connection to the MMDR movement are included here as background and are unrelated to the allegations against Begay.

Charges Filed

• Great bodily harm by vehicle while driving under the influence of intoxicating liquor or any drug — third-degree felony
• Aggravated DWI while under the influence of intoxicating liquor or any drug involving bodily injury — petty misdemeanor
• Failure to maintain traffic lane — petty misdemeanor
• Cruelty to animals — misdemeanor

Case Status

A felony first appearance was held Aug. 17 in San Juan County Magistrate Court in Aztec. Court records show Begay was incarcerated at the time of the proceeding and that probable cause had been found prior to the first appearance.

The first-appearance record shows the court set an own-recognizance bond and selected a preliminary hearing as the next hearing type. The record also indicates Begay requested an attorney.

A conditional order of appointment in the case states Begay was unable to obtain counsel and desired representation through the Law Offices of the Public Defender. The court conditionally appointed the public defender’s office, contingent upon Begay applying for representation within five days.

Source

This report is based on a statement of probable cause, Intoxilyzer Alcohol Analyzer results, a felony first-appearance record and a conditional order regarding appointment of counsel from San Juan County Magistrate Court in Aztec in case M-147-IR-2026-00016. San Juan Pulse independently confirmed Randall-Shorty’s identity as the injured pedestrian. Background about Randall-Shorty’s MMDR advocacy is based in part on April 2026 reporting by Navajo Times.

Legal Disclaimer

All charges are allegations based on court records, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.