The crash occurred on a snowy afternoon in November 2022 along U.S. 40 south of Heber City. Witnesses reported seeing a pickup truck lose control on the ice- and slush-covered highway, crash into a guardrail and flip onto its roof.
The truck had been traveling at close to 90 miles per hour, well over the 60 miles per hour speed limit on the road. One witness helped pull the driver and passenger out of the flipped truck.
According to a report filed by a Utah Highway Patrol trooper at the scene, the truck’s passenger was unable to move. Medical helicopters were unable to reach the site of the crash due to the weather. The driver, Vincent Elijah Harris, had minor scratches.
When the trooper asked Harris to fill out a witness statement, he noticed the driver’s breath smelled like alcohol. Another trooper saw several cans inside the truck. The troopers conducted field sobriety tests and placed Harris under arrest for driving under the influence.
The passenger was transported to the hospital, where he was treated for spinal injuries but died two days later. The man’s daughter told Highway Patrol troopers she had been able to speak with her father between surgeries. He told her Harris offered him a beer and was drinking while driving.
Harris now faces charges of automobile homicide and speeding. Automobile homicide is a second-degree felony, which carries penalties of up to 15 years in person and up to $10,000 in fines.
His initial appearance in the 4th District Court is scheduled for Oct. 30.
