On May 23, 2012, several young people were talking in the parking lot of a Utah Walmart. Seemingly out of nowhere, an RV raced toward them, killing a 16-year-old. Recently, the driver of that RV pleaded guilty to DUI and other charges in connection with the incident.
As the RV approached them, the young adults said they could see that the driver was laughing and smiling. It is still unclear why the RV driver appeared to purposely aim his vehicle at the victims. What is clear is that the driver had ingested 13 beers on the day of the crash.
The RV hit not only the teenager, but also an SUV next to the group. The boy that died was pinned against the RV by a pole from the large vehicle’s awning. As part of his plea agreement, the driver admitted to hitting the teen.
Originally, the Utah man was charged with several crimes in connection with the collision. He ended up pleading guilty to one charge of driving under the influence and two counts of aggravated assault. He was sentenced to a year in jail. Once released, he will spend another 36 months on supervised release, and will also be responsible for paying the victims restitution.
Even though it seems as though this man knew what he was doing at the time, it is very possible that he was unaware of his actions. The amount of alcohol he consumed prior to the incident could have affected his judgment and memory. After reviewing the evidence and witnesses against him, this man made the determination that taking a plea agreement was his best course of action in the face the DUI and other charges.
Source: sltrib.com, Utah man going to jail for running down teens in Walmart parking lot, Jessica Miller, Sept. 18, 2013
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