DRAPER, Utah – 19 year-old Steven Becky is facing charges of attempted criminal homicide after running a teenager off the road with his car. The girl – 11 – is expected to survive but suffered serious injuries to her head and hip.
Police said that Becky intentionally made a hard right-turn into the victim, who was walking an electric scooter up a hill. The incident was captured on film thanks to a neighbor’s surveillance cameras. Draper Chief of Police John Eining stated that, “this is not what I would describe as somebody that had veered into the girl, or drifted into the girl, my description would be that this is somebody that turned into this girl”.
A witness reported that Becky aggressively walked up to the injured victim and said “we all have to die sometime”. The witness then had to restrain the suspect until police arrived. From there, Becky – whose vehicle had flipped in the crash – was initially taken to a hospital.
Once at the hospital, the suspect agreed to speak with detectives. Police described his behavior as “erratic” and that he was unsympathetic towards the victim. Becky also admitted to using a litany of drugs including Xanax, LSD and mushrooms. Officers additionally told Fox 13 that Becky admitted to being high at the time of the crash. Chief Eining noted that alcohol did not play a role.
The girl is recovering from her injuries – that include a fractured hip – and police believe that a helmet helped save her life. The driver also allegedly told investigators that he hit the girl “because she was white“.
Becky was booked into the Utah County Jail on May 31 and is being held on $255,000 bond. He is facing charges of attempted criminal homicide as well as DUI offences.