Heber resident Loren Ray Russell, 43, is being held without bail in the Wasatch County Jail after allegedly accelerating toward a biker in his truck, breaking the man’s leg. Police say Russell then drove away.
According to an arrest affidavit filed Sunday, April 20, in 4th District Court, Russell was leaving the UPS store in downtown Heber on the afternoon of April 13.
Russell allegedly stopped his Chevy Silverado on the sidewalk at the intersection of 600 South and 100 East. A biker riding down the sidewalk went around the truck, hit the hood with his hand, and kept biking away.
The affidavit says Russell then turned his truck toward the biker, accelerated, struck him and left the scene.
A Heber police officer responded after the biker called for medical attention. The officer said he saw acceleration marks on the ground at the scene of the hit-and-run.
The biker told police April 19 that his leg is broken and might need surgery. He said he wanted to pursue charges.
Heber police used security camera footage from the UPS store to identify the vehicle, as well as an anonymous tip about the truck’s license plate number.
When arrested Sunday, Russell allegedly told officers he felt threatened by the biker and hurried away without realizing he had hit the man.
In the affidavit, the arresting officer wrote, “I questioned why, if he felt threatened, he had not called law enforcement. He admitted that he hadn’t thought about it.”
The officer added that after watching the video and “seeing how hard the male was struck,” he didn’t believe Russell’s story.
Russell was charged Monday with aggravated assault resulting in serious bodily injury, a second-degree felony, and failure to remain at the scene of an accident involving serious injury, a third-degree felony. He was also charged with an infraction for failing to yield the right-of-way.
He is scheduled to make an initial appearance in court Wednesday morning, April 23.
The alleged road rage incident comes as a different high-profile road rage case makes its way through 4th District Court.
Greg Kyle DeBoer was charged with felony obstruction of justice in December 2024 after he buried the gun he said he used to fatally shoot Hideout resident Patrick Hayes. DeBoer claimed he fired in self-defense and was not charged in connection with Hayes’ death.
The preliminary hearing for the DeBoer case is also Wednesday.
