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HEBER CITY — The family of a Wasatch County teen who was hit by a UTV is fighting for justice as they learn the accused UTV driver most likely won't serve jail time.
On April 1, 16-year-old Cordell Johnson was riding his dirt bike on a dirt road in Heber when a UTV with three people aboard hit him head-on at 55 miles per hour, police said.
"I've never felt that much pain before," Johnson said. "I was lying there for quite a while."
Nearly an hour passed before a stranger spotted Johnson in a ditch and called 911. Johnson is still recovering from serious injuries he received in the crash.
Police caught up with the suspected UTV driver, 30-year-old Zackery Larsen, who was suspected of DUI, eight hours later and took him into custody. Larsen, however, was never charged because the time needed to assess whether he had been drinking passed. He was later charged with leaving the scene and having an open container of alcohol in the UTV.
Cordell's mother, Jill Johnson, said she is fighting for justice. "He's basically put Cordell in a prison of his own body and he's not going to go to prison or jail?" she said.
"He knew if he ran away he'd get away with it," she added. "He seems to be going to, and that's really frustrating. He's put our family through hell."
Johnson said she was told during a meeting with prosecutors Monday that Larsen likely will not go to jail and the felony charge for leaving the scene will likely be pleaded down to lesser charges.
"The prosecuting attorney is offering him a deal that will drop it to a misdemeanor," she said. However, Wasatch County attorney Scott Sweat said a plea deal isn't guaranteed.
"We are always talking about ways to resolve the case," he said. "We're really hoping that we can get a good result for the family and the community."
Johnson said her family won't be happy unless that result includes jail time for Larsen.
"(Cordell) is a kid. He was just laying there scared and hurting and needing help, and that monster just left him there to die," she said. "Cordell could smell alcohol on their breath as they were talking to him after they hit him."
Larsen's next court hearing is set for Wednesday at 8 a.m. He was charged with DUI in 2016 but were later dropped as part of an agreement made with the court pending certain requirements he had to fulfill to have charges dropped.
