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Police: W. Bountiful auto homicide suspect had 4 narcotics in his system

By Mark Shenefelt - | Aug 16, 2022

MARK SHENEFELT, Standard-Examiner

The 2nd District courthouse in Farmington is pictured Nov. 1, 2021.

FARMINGTON — Prosecutors have filed an automobile homicide case against a man who they allege drove while high on methamphetamine and ran down two bicyclists, killing one, in West Bountiful on July 21.

Sean D. Mikesell, 29, was charged Monday by the Davis County Attorney’s Office with the second-degree felony offense in the death of Michael Scott Roberts, 53. The victim’s 17-year-old daughter was seriously injured in the crash.

The charging documents provided additional details of the crash and the investigation by West Bountiful police, including toxicology reports that allegedly showed Mikesell had amphetamine, methamphetamine, codeine and morphine in his system.

Mikesell, of West Bountiful, was driving a pickup truck eastbound on Pages Lane at about 4 p.m. on July 21, when the vehicle hit the bicyclists, also eastbound, who were in the designated bike lane. Roberts was dead at the scene and his daughter suffered a concussion, a severe scalp injury and scrapes and bruises.

Police said several people reported hearing a loud bang and turned to see the bicyclists down and the truck pulling to a stop about 150 yards past the point of impact. None of the people reported hearing any braking, tires squealing or other sounds of collision avoidance.

One woman told officers she was outside getting her mail when she heard a crash and looked up to see the bicyclists flying through the air. She said she saw the truck continue moving at high speed, apparently running over Roberts, according to the charges.

Another bystander said he approached Mikesell, who was distraught and on the phone with someone. He said he took the keys out of the ignition and told Mikesell to sit on the curb. The man said he saw Mikesell shortly later stand up and rifle through the contents of the pickup’s front cab, entering through the passenger door.

Police reported that when they arrived, Mikesell was acting erratically and sweating profusely. They said he passed out or nodded off asleep during a medical evaluation. Mikesell also reportedly had a high pulse rate and asked police to shoot him, according to the documents.

During their search of the pickup truck, police said they saw several hypodermic needles, a small digital scale and a silver spoon in a storm drain next to the truck’s passenger side. One syringe was loaded with a substance that later tested as methamphetamine, police said.

Officers said the search of the truck yielded other drug paraphernalia, a folding knife, a fixed-blade knife and an open container of rum.

Prosecutors also charged Mikesell with obstruction of justice and possession of a dangerous weapon by a restricted person, third-degree felonies; and misdemeanor counts of possession of drug paraphernalia and negligently operating a vehicle resulting in bodily injury.

Mikesell remains held without bail at the Davis County Jail in Farmington. Prosecutors said in court papers that a no-bail hold was warranted because Mikesell was on felony probation and that he is a self-reported member of a violent gang, Soldiers of Aryan Color. They said Mikesell would be a danger to the community if he was released pending trial.

Mikesell has six criminal convictions in Davis and Salt Lake counties, four involving possession of illegal drugs, according to state court records. Other charges included burglary, theft and forgery. In the most recent case, Mikesell pleaded guilty to second-degree felony assault by a prisoner. Charging documents said he and another Utah State Prison inmate beat and stabbed a fellow prisoner in 2018.

As of Tuesday afternoon, Mikesell did not have an attorney of record.

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