PROVO, Utah (ABC4) – The driver that was involved in a fatal crash that killed a 16-year-old in Saratoga Springs was charged with manslaughter on Wednesday.
Daniel Stanislav Macbeth, 28, was charged with manslaughter, driving with a measurable controlled substance in the body, alcohol-restricted driver, and driving on a suspended license.
On May 25 around 1:22 p.m., police responded to a two-car crash at Redwood Road and Harvest Hills Boulevard. When they arrived on the scene they found 16-year-old Ammon Blake dead from blunt force trauma.
In the moments leading up to the crash, police say Macbeth was tailgating an officer so close that the officer “could not see the hood or front license plate of the white Mercedes 500.” A mile prior to the crash, Macbeth abruptly changed lanes and sped past the officer’s vehicle at a high rate of speed. Macbeth gestured his middle finger as he drove past the officer, police said.
Macbeth then cut the officer off and “accelerated faster at an unsafe speed,” gesturing his middle finger towards the officer once again, a probable cause statement shows.
Police say Macbeth was driving at a high rate of speed as he approached the intersection of Harvest Hills Boulevard. The traffic light for southbound traffic had turned red but Macbeth ran the light. As he ran the light, a Ford Fusion began turning left onto Harvest Hills Boulevard and was hit by the Mercedes.
Macbeth told officers that he had been drinking alcohol earlier that same morning, and woke up to drive to a job. He told officers the light turned yellow and “there’s no way I would have enough distance to stop so I step on the gas,” according to a probable cause statement.
Witnesses that were in the same southbound lane as Macbeth told police that the light for southbound traffic had been red for 2 to 3 seconds before Macbeth drove through the intersection.
A toxicology report showed traces of cocaine and alcohol in Macbeth’s body. At the time, he was also an “alcohol restricted driver,” and had an active warrant out for his arrest.