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SALT LAKE CITY — A Kearns man was sentenced on Monday to one to 15 years in prison for automobile homicide, a second-degree felony.
Steven Merrill Rollins, 47, was at a friend's house smoking methamphetamine on the evening of Aug. 10, 2022, when he told his friend he wanted to get more drugs, according to the Salt Lake County District Attorney's Office.
"Even though the friend told him not to leave, the defendant drove away," a news release from the agency says.
Prosecutors say Rollins had consumed both methamphetamine and heroin.
Lisa Mickelson and her son Slate, who had just got off a bus and were walking home, stepped off a curb when a pickup truck hit Slate, charging documents said.
"Witnesses stated they heard a loud noise that sounded like the truck had hit a mailbox. Witnesses stated that the truck did not hit its brakes and continued to drive away from the scene. Witnesses stated as they got nearer to the incident, they observed a woman screaming that her child had been hit," the charges state.
Slate was taken to a hospital, where he died from injuries, including a skull fracture and a broken spine.
Days after the crash, a witness reported a Toyota Tacoma, the vehicle police determined was involved based on surveillance video, with front damage found near the scene. Officers found Rollins in a trailer nearby, charges said. A woman also living in the trailer told police that Rollins had told her he needed to ditch the truck and report it stolen, and also kept saying "he killed a kid," charges say.
Tuesday's statement said the plea deal in his case gives Rollins a lifetime enhancement for DUI, meaning if he is arrested in the future for a DUI, it will be charged as a third-degree felony rather than a misdemeanor.
Salt Lake County District Attorney Sim Gill said he hopes the plea and sentence help the family of the victims heal.
"If you have taken substances that can affect your ability to drive, stay where you are or get a ride. The decision not to drive can make the difference between life and death for you or other members of our community," Gill said.
Rollins pleaded guilty to causing the death on May 16.
As the result of his plea deal, multiple charges were dismissed including negligent automobile homicide for using a handheld device, a second-degree felony; failure to remain at an accident involving a death and possession of a controlled substance, both third-degree felonies; in addition to use or possession of drug paraphernalia, a class B misdemeanor; and failure to operate a vehicle within a lane, an infraction.
