SEVIER COUNTY, Utah (ABC4) — A 14-year-old boy from Sevier County is facing a second-degree felony manslaughter charge and a class A misdemeanor charge of obstruction of justice after a fatal rollover accident on May 2.
Richfield City Police said the boy was taken into custody around 7 p.m. on Wednesday, May 3, after it was determined he was the driver of a vehicle that rolled over the day before.
The crash happened around 8 p.m., about a half mile above the water tank on a dirt road just west of Richfield. Utah Highway Patrol reported that a tan Hyundai Sonata with three teenage boys, aged 14, 15, and 16, was traveling too fast and lost control, causing the vehicle to roll.
The 14- and 16-year-old boys were taken to a local hospital with minor injuries. The 15-year-old boy was reportedly standing through the sunroof at the time of the accident and died in the crash.
While prosecutors have the option to appeal to the court to try the 14-year-old boy as an adult, precedent with his age and current charges make it highly unlikely for that to happen. He will likely be tried through the juvenile court system.