Utah teen charged with manslaughter in rollover crash that killed his friend
May 31, 2023, 4:52 PM
Erik Alldredge was killed in a rollover crash in March 2023. (Family photo)
(Family photo)
RICHFIELD, Utah — A 14-year-old boy has been charged with manslaughter in connection with a rollover crash that killed one of his friends.
On May 2, three teens, ages 14, 15 and 16, were in a Hyundai Sonata that was going too fast on a dirt road and the driver lost control “about 0.4 miles above the water tank on the CC road,” according to Richfield police and the Utah Highway Patrol.
“When the vehicle overturned, one of the passengers, a 15-year-old male, was reportedly standing up through the sunroof, filming. He was pinned under the vehicle and died on the scene,” the UHP said.
Erik Nicholas Alldredge, 15, of Richfield, was killed. The other two boys were treated at a local hospital for minor injuries.
“He was very sweet, he had a big heart and was concerned about everyone around him,” said Angie Ekker, Erik’s mom.
Ekker said his death was her worst nightmare.
“I just prayed every time he left that he would come home, and this time he didn’t,” she said.
“Erik passed away doing what he loved to do, spending time with his friends cruising around on the mountain in Richfield,” according to a GoFundMe account set up to pay for funeral expenses.
Richfield police had the Utah Highway Patrol and State Bureau of Investigation take the lead in the crash investigation due to the severity of the incident.
During the investigation, a Snapchat video was discovered that showed the 14-year-old was the driver at the time of the crash, according to a search warrant affidavit. The 16-year-old boy allegedly told police that the younger teen was the “designated driver” because the older boy was intoxicated.
“Interviews with (the surviving teens) as well as a written statement by a witness that saw the vehicle shortly before the crash indicate (the 14-year-old boy) was operating the vehicle recklessly which resulted in the death of (the 15-year-old boy),” the affidavit states.
The 14-year-old was charged with manslaughter, a second-degree felony, in 6th District Juvenile Court. KSL.com is not naming the boy at this time.
The charge comes less than two months after the same boy was convicted of joyriding in 6th District Juvenile Court and was sentenced to two days in juvenile detention, according to court records.
