Estimated read time: 2-3 minutes
- A car involved in a fatal New Mexico hit-and-run was found in Utah.
- The incident involved young teens, with charges against a 13-year-old driver and 15-year-old passenger.
- A social media video led to the arrest; police are processing the car for evidence.
SALEM, Utah County — A car police believe was being driven by a 13-year-old boy when he intentionally hit a bicyclist in New Mexico, killing the rider, ended up in Utah and is now being searched for potential evidence.
On May 29, 2024, Scott Dwight Habermehl, 63, was riding his bicycle to work in Albuquerque, New Mexico, when he was hit by a car that swerved into the bike lane, according to police.
The case may have gone unsolved if not for a social media post that appeared in February that included video allegedly filmed by one of the three young boys inside the car as they hit Habermehl. A 13-year-old boy who police believe was driving the car is heard in the video saying he is about to hit the bicyclist. The car appears to accelerate, and a voice believed to be a 15-year-old's says, "Just bump him, brah."
The driver asks, "Like bump him?"
A passenger says, "Yeah, just bump him. Go like …15 … 20."
The video was uploaded to the Instagram account belonging to an 11-year-old boy who police say was also in the car, according to court documents. As detectives collected information, including from a middle school principal who was shown the video by a student, detectives eventually rounded up the three boys believed to be in the vehicle.
Murder charges were filed against two boys, including the 13-year-old driver and a 15-year-old passenger. The 11-year-old boy was also taken into custody, but police say he is too young to be charged with murder and was turned over to the New Mexico Children, Youth, and Families Department.
Once the driver and occupants of the car that allegedly hit Habermehl were identified, police then sought out the 2017 Hyundai Sonata they were allegedly driving to further their investigation. That's when detectives learned the vehicle was sold on July 25, 2024 in an online car auction. The new registered owner lives in Salem, Utah County, according to police.
The vehicle was reported as stolen during the early morning hours of May 29, 2024, the same morning that Habermehl was hit, according to court records. It was found abandoned later that morning with "a visibly broken steering column and bore damage that was consistent with the fatal crash," according to a search warrant affidavit.
After the vehicle was recovered, ownership was transferred to the online auction company.
Police say once investigators process the vehicle for evidence related to the fatal crash, the car will be returned to the new Utah owners.
