Estimated read time: 1-2 minutes
HEBER CITY — A man who police say was driving in snowy conditions while impaired and flipped his truck, resulting in the death of his passenger, is now facing criminal charges.
Vincent Elijah Harris, 40, of Brigham City, was charged Thursday in 4th District Court with negligently operating a vehicle resulting in death, a second-degree felony; and speeding, an infraction.
On Nov. 9, 2022, Utah Highway Patrol troopers responded to a rollover crash on U.S. 40 east of Heber City. A Ford F-350 "had rolled onto its roof, and the passenger of the truck was laying on the ground fading in and out of consciousness," according to a police booking affidavit.
The first arriving trooper noted that "the skies were cloudy, snow was falling, and the road conditions were a combination of snow, slush, and ice. The temperature was approximately 35 degrees," the report states. Due to the weather, a medical helicopter was unable to respond to the scene.
One witness told investigators that the truck appeared to lose control, and the driver then overcorrected, "went sideways, then hit the guardrail" before it flipped onto its roof, the report states.
Steven Robert Ramirez Tinoco, 47, died on Nov. 11, 2022, due to injuries he sustained in the crash, according to the report.
Harris had a "strong odor" of alcohol coming from his breath when questioned by troopers and admitted to consuming "quite a bit" of alcohol the night before, the report states. Investigators also talked to Tinoco's daughter, who was able to talk to her father before he passed away. She said that her father allegedly told her that when he got into the truck with Harris, "Harris offered him a beer and was drinking while driving."
