Alleged DUI driver charged in crash that killed cyclist

Alleged DUI driver charged in crash that killed cyclist

(Salt Lake County Jail)


Save Story
Leer en español

Estimated read time: 1-2 minutes

This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.

SALT LAKE CITY — A Syracuse man has been charged with automobile homicide in the death of a cyclist in September.

Peter Vance Wilcox, 36, was charged in 3rd District Court on Thursday with automobile homicide, a third-degree felony, in the death of Mitchell Bennett, 50. Wilcox registered a blood-alcohol level of .228 in a breath test, or nearly three times the legal limit, when police say he hit Bennett's bicycle on Sept. 25.

Police believe Wilcox hit Bennett heading north on 900 West near 3160 South as he was riding side-by-side with another cyclist. Wilcox's vehicle apparently dragged the bicycle "several hundred feet" before stopping, charges state. The bike was found with its rear tire still wedged beneath the bumper of the vehicle, the lights on its rear-lighting system still flashing.

Bennett hit the windshield, suffering severe head, neck and back injuries. He died at the hospital on Sept. 30.

Wilcox abandoned his vehicle after the crash and was spotted walking away by Bennett's cycling companion, charges state. When police confronted him, he initially claimed the vehicle wasn't his.

Court records show Wilcox was convicted twice in the late 1990s of misdemeanor charges of being a minor in possession of alcohol.

Related stories

Most recent Utah stories

Related topics

Utah
McKenzie Romero

    STAY IN THE KNOW

    Get informative articles and interesting stories delivered to your inbox weekly. Subscribe to the KSL.com Trending 5.
    By subscribing, you acknowledge and agree to KSL.com's Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.

    KSL Weather Forecast