This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2014, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
A Salt Lake City man was charged this week with third-degree felony automobile homicide, accused of driving drunk and striking a bicyclist who later died.
Peter Vance Wilcox, 36, was charged Thursday in 3rd District Court with the single felony charge in the death of 50-year-old Mitchell L. Bennett. A $50,000 arrest warrant was also issued Thursday, according to court records.
Wilcox allegedly struck Bennett's bike with his 2001 Saturn while heading north on 900 West at 3160 South on Sept. 25 at around 11 p.m. Bennett was thrown from his bike and suffered severe injuries to his spine, neck and head, according to police. He died five days later.
Bennett's cycling partner told police that he saw the Saturn drive away after the accident. Police soon after found the car abandoned north of the accident scene, and the cycling partner spotted Wilcox walking away from the car.
When Wilcox was confronted by police, he initially denied driving the Saturn, but then admitted he was. He also allegedly admitted to drinking alcohol, and had a blood alcohol level of 0.228 — nearly three times the legal limit for driving in Utah.
Twitter: @jm_miller