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PROVO — Jod Booker said he was following a black Porsche in a caravan going west along a two-lane highway on June 4 and was about 100 yards away when a truck from the other side of the road collided with the Porsche.
He said he heard the crash and then went into the eastbound lanes to avoid the collision but hit some debris in the road.
Since he is an EMT, Booker quickly stopped to see if he could help. He testified Friday that someone said, "I think they're dead," so he asked the man to hold traffic while he checked. Booker said he checked for a pulse on both people in the car, and after he realized there was nothing he could do to help them start breathing again, he went over to the truck to help the other driver, Peterson Drew Matheson.
A 4th District judge heard testimony about the crash Friday and is now waiting for written briefings from attorneys before deciding whether to order Matheson to stand trial.
Matheson, 30, was driving a Ford F-150 on state Route 73 in Eagle Mountain when he crashed into a black Porsche, killing passengers Rodney Michael Salm, 48, and Michaela Himmelberger, 47, according to charging documents.
He is charged with two counts of manslaughter and two counts of negligently operating a vehicle causing a death, second-degree felonies; along with reckless driving, a class B misdemeanor; and two driving infractions for following too closely and not staying in one lane.
The two victims were driving in a caravan with other Porsche enthusiasts while Matheson, driving the other direction, was attempting to merge from the shoulder onto the road during a road-rage confrontation and lost control, according to testimony at the hearing from eyewitnesses.
He was transported to the hospital immediately after the crash and later turned himself in to police.
Booker said when he got to the truck after evaluating the two people in the Porsche, Matheson called his wife and his mother and stated, "I can't believe this is happening." Booker said Matheson appeared to be in shock and didn't complain about back pain until about five minutes after they started interacting, so he likely had high adrenaline.
Utah County sheriff's detective Adam Hickman said he knew there were fatalities when he arrived at the scene of the crash. He said Matheson's truck was attempting to pass another vehicle on the right shoulder, which was not legal. He said over 12 witnesses were interviewed about the crash, some at the scene and some later.
He said autopsies for both victims indicated they died from blunt force trauma.
Hickman also testified about results from a toxicology report conducted after they received a warrant for Matheson's blood. He said it indicated he had some levels of THC and substances related to THC, although he did not have a prescription for medical marijuana.
Adam Nott said he was watching through his rearview mirror as the truck Matheson was driving pulled into the lane of traffic on the road, state Route 73, instead of turning into the acceleration lane. He said that allowed a Nissan to immediately pull in front of the truck from behind, and then the truck went into the acceleration lane to try to pull ahead of the Nissan.
He testified Friday that both cars were attempting to end up in front, and when the turning lane ended, the truck remained on the shoulder of the road. Nott said he sped his car up because the cars were so close to his back bumper, and estimated he was going 75 mph on a 65 mph road.
"It was obvious things were escalating," he said.
Nott said he saw the cars hit into each other at least two times through his rearview mirrors before the truck lost control. He remembers seeing the truck tipping onto its right and left sides as it drove on the shoulder of the road before the crash.
Hickman said the investigation is still open into the driver of the Nissan who was also involved in the road rage, but no charges have been filed at this point.
