New details revealed in stolen bullet bike hit-and-run in South Salt Lake

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah, Sept. 4, 2017 (Gephardt Daily) — New details have been revealed in the Aug. 29 case of a hit-and-run collision between a stolen bullet bike and a middle-aged man who was left in very critical condition.

Lutolofi Maama, 20, was arrested Friday in connection with the case, and was captured after fleeing police, jumping a fence and leading officers on a foot chase.

Gephardt Daily has obtained a probable cause statement in Maama’s arrest, which paints a more complete picture of the crime and investigation.

South Salt Lake police were called to the accident scene, at 3300 South and 900 West, at 12:50 a.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 30. A 49-year-old pedestrian was found in the street, in very critical condition, with traumatic head wounds. The probable cause statement said the victim’s condition has not improved, and he is on life support.

Also found were parts from a red and black bullet bike. One piece had a part number, which revealed it to be from the same model of motorcycle that had been stolen earier Tuesday from its rightful owner, who listed it for sale on KSL classified site.

The owner said a man had contacted him to say he was interested in purchasing the bike. The “potential buyer” came to the owner’s Kearns residence, then pressured the owner for a test drive, and eventually leaving on the bullet bike without the owner’s consent, the probable cause statement says.

The thief left behind a Mazda Crossover SUV he had arrived in — which also proved to be stolen —  along with a broken cell phone which is now in evidence.

The bullet bike’s owner gave South Salt Lake police a strong description of the man who took the motorcycle, describing his approximate age, his hair color and style, blue eyes, and old scars on his forehead.

The hit and run accident had happened in front of the Salt Lake County Sheriff’s Office, and a video captured the collision and a rider matching the suspect’s description crashing on his right side, then walking the bike away from the scene, the statement says.

Later that same day, a tipster reported a motorcycle matching the description being sought had been stashed in some bushes at a vacant house near 512 E. Warnock Ave., (2465 South) in South Salt Lake. The motorcycle was found missing the parts that had been found at the scene, and was found with blood, which was swabbed for DNA evidence.

A young man who had short blond hair and blue eyes, as described by the motorcycle’s owner, and fresh road rash, was seen fleeing the area and jumping a fence. South Salt Lake Police set up a containment area, and later took Maama into custody.

Maama denied any involvement in the hit and run accident, but did give police the name of his mother, which was also found among the data stored in the broken cell phone.

Maama is expected to face charges of:

• Vehicle theft, a second-degree felony
• Two counts of possession of a stolen vehicle, second-degree felonies
• Failure to remain at the site of an accident with injury, a third-degree felony
• Failure to respond to officers, a third-degree felony
• Fail to stop at command of law enforcement, a Class A misdemeanor
• Driving on a suspended license, a Class C misdemeanor
• No insurance, a Class C misdemeanor

Anyone with additional information in the case is asked to call South Salt Lake police at 801-840-4000.