SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4) — A warrant of arrest has recently been issued for a man who police believe to have hit two teenage boys in Salt Lake County on Sunday, Jan. 15.
According to court documents, Javier Vazquez-Costeno, 33, was charged in the Third District Court in Salt Lake City on Thursday, Jan. 26, with third-degree failure to stop at an accident resulting in serious injury, failure to stop at an accident resulting in injury and driving with no or expired license.
Vazquez-Costeno is accused of hitting two boys, ages 13 and 14, who were riding an electric bike in the Ballpark neighborhood on Jan. 15 at about 4:50 a.m. The two teens reportedly sustained serious injuries.
On Jan. 15, Salt Lake City police responded to 114 West 1300 South on reports of a hit-and-run incident. Upon arrival, officers found a boy lying unconscious on the westbound lanes and “appeared to have been dragged” by a vehicle.
Court documents state police later learned that the boy suffered a traumatic brain injury, fractured right scapula, rib fractures, a pelvis fracture, extensive lung bruising, laceration to the kidneys, an open wound to his right wrist and extensive road rash.
The other boy was reportedly conscious when police arrived at the scene and had a road rash on the right side of his face.
Police checked the UDOT footage, which allegedly revealed a black Nissan Frontier heading westbound on 1300 South before overtaking the electric bike traveling in the same lane at the eastern edge of the intersection. The Nissan appeared to have collided with the rear of the bicycle, causing the bike to slide and get stuck under the front bumper.
The next day of the crash, a tipster reportedly told SLCPD officers that Vazquez-Costeno had called them saying he had fallen asleep behind the wheel early Sunday morning and had possibly hit something. Vazquez-Costeno allegedly got scared when he felt the impact, hit the gas pedal and sped away.
The tipster also revealed that they noticed the Nissan sustained damage to the hood, court documents say. Vazquez-Costeno allegedly asked the tipster to drive him to where he thought the accident had occurred to see if he damaged anything else, all the while believing he had hit a pole. When he saw the police presence on 1300 South, he reportedly panicked and demanded to go home.
The tipster also told officers they have lost contact with Vazquez-Costeno as he was not returning their calls, court documents say. At this point, police made contact with Vazquez-Costeno’s employer, who allegedly said they have not heard from him since Friday, Jan. 13.
