- Charles Merrill Lavadie, 63, was found guilty of crashing his truck into a South Salt Lake home.
- The crash seriously injured a 10-year-old boy, who was trapped under the vehicle.
- Lavadie had taken painkillers prior to the crash. He will be sentenced Nov. 20.
SALT LAKE CITY — A 63-year-old West Valley man has been found guilty of taking a painkiller and subsequently crashing his truck into a home, pinning a 10-year-old beneath his vehicle.
Charles Merrill Lavadie, 63, was found guilty Wednesday in 3rd District Court of negligently operating a vehicle resulting in serious bodily injury, a third-degree felony.
On July 3, 2020, Lavadie was driving a 2015 Chevy Silverado that went off the road and into a house near 3245 S. 300 East, according to charging documents. A 10-year-old boy who was inside the house became trapped under his vehicle, the charges stated.
According to a release from the Salt Lake County District Attorney's Office, South Salt Lake police officers responded to the scene and discovered Lavadie's truck was all the way inside the house, with Lavadie still in the driver's seat.
"The responding detective could hear crying from under the vehicle and saw that a 10-year-old child had been run over and was pinned under the truck. First responders to the scene determined that a technical heavy rescue extrication would be necessary to get the child out from under the truck safely," said the release. "The child was successfully taken out from under the truck and taken to the hospital in critical condition with a skull fracture, bleeding in the brain, a broken femur and a large laceration on the right side of his face because of the crash."
Police did a check of Lavadie's blood and found hydrocodone and hydromorphone in his system. In his vehicle, they found a prescription bottle for hydrocodone with a 2016 date on the label, the charges stated, as well as a bottle for another prescription that causes dizziness.
The investigation revealed Lavadie had taken a Lortab pill earlier in the day and had passed out while driving from St. George to South Salt Lake, according to the district attorney's office.
Investigators estimated Lavadie was traveling 39 to 47 mph on the 30 mph road before the crash, according to the charges.
"When you get behind the wheel, you are exercising a privilege that carries with it inherent responsibility to everyone you may encounter while driving. If you are impaired in any way, you should never get behind the wheel. If you do, this office will hold you accountable for your actions. A child and his family's lives were changed forever when the defendant came crashing into their home. We hope that this conviction helps them to feel they have received the justice they deserve for the avoidable and negligent action of the defendant," Salt Lake County District Attorney Sim Gill said in a statement.
Lavadie will be sentenced on Nov. 20.
