A Riverton woman is facing misdemeanor charges after police say she veered out of her lane in July and struck two 9-year-old boys who were riding together on an electric scooter, killing one and critically injuring the other.
The 44-year-old has been charged in 3rd District Court with negligent homicide, a class A misdemeanor; careless driving, a class C misdemeanor; as well as speeding and failing to operate a vehicle in a single lane, both infractions.
Negligent homicide can carry a sentence of up to a year in jail and a $2,500 fine. But according to court documents, the recommended fines in this case are $110 for careless driving, $130 for speeding, and $130 for failure to remain in a single lane.
The woman was driving a 2021 GMC Yukon east on 11400 South at 2115 West at about noon on July 6 when she struck the two boys, who were riding on the shoulder of the road, police said. The children were dragged underneath the vehicle for about 60 yards before being thrown into a curb, according to a probable cause statement.
The boy who survived suffered a serious head injury and internal injuries, which required multiple surgeries, court documents state.
On the day of the crash, South Jordan police released a video in which an official said: “It’s times like these that remind us we should be paying attention when we’re driving. We should be aware of our surroundings, and we should make sure that we’re slowing down, and keeping our speeds safe for other drivers, and other motorists, and pedestrians and bicyclists, and people out walking their dogs.”
“It’s accidents like these that really hit home,” the official continued, “involving children. It makes you think of your own family.”
According to a witness, the woman was driving half in the right eastbound lane and half in the shoulder when she struck the boys. Skid marks from the wreck suggested that the boys were struck “outside the lane of travel and in the shoulder area,” according to the charging documents.
The woman told South Jordan police she was “eating yogurt” before she turned onto 11400 South, and that she was late for an appointment. She said she handed her phone to her son and asked him to make a call “but could not remember if she had held it so face recognition could … open the phone,” according to the probable cause statement.
The police investigation found that she was traveling 50 mph in a 40 mph zone when she hit the boys. She told police she didn’t realize she had hit anything until she saw the boys in her rearview mirror.