SALT LAKE CITY, Utah, May 3, 2020 (Gephardt Daily) — A Salt Lake County man has been sentenced to prison after pleading guilty to an automobile homicide/DUI, a second-degree felony, which caused the death of a 4-year-old boy.
Carl Wayne Johnson, 57, pleaded guilty to the single charge. In exchange for his plea, the following charges were dismissed with prejudice:
- Driving under the influence of alcohol/drugs, a third-degree felony
- Operating a vehicle without insurance, a class C misdemeanor
- Failure to register or expired vehicle registration, an infraction
- Failure to yield to a pedestrian’s right of way, school crosswalk, an infraction
The accident happened on Nov. 16, 2019, near 900 West and California Avenue, outside the Sorenson Multicultural Center. The child was riding a small, green bicycle. He and his mother were crossing the street, in an intersection, when both of them were struck by the GMC Jimmy SUV.
First responders attempted to save the child, but were unable to revive him. The boy’s mother was taken to a nearby hospital with what were described as non-life-threatening injuries.
Johnson was arrested at the scene.
“I could smell a strong odor of alcohol from A/P’s (arrested person’s) breath,” the officer wrote in charging documents, adding that field sobriety tests revealed clues indicating impairment.
Johnson was sentenced on April 30 to one to 15 years in the Utah State Prison, with credit for 168 days served.
