Today on the 6th floor in the Provo District Court Peterson Drew Matheson had his preliminary court trial. During his 9:00 preliminary court trial, Judge Lund heard the case. On 6/4/2023 Matheson was involved in a Road Rage incident that resulted in Rodney Michael Salm’s and Micheala Himmelberge’s deaths.
The original charges were four second-degree felonies (2 X Manslauther, 2X Negligently operating a vehicle resulting in Death), one class B Misdemeanor (Reckless Driving), and two traffic infractions (Following to close, and Failure to stay in one lane).
During the preliminary trial, several witnesses testified, as well as Detective Hickman of the Utah County Sheriff’s Office. The State had 19 exhibits that they brought forward in court, one of which was a dash cam video that was captured by a vehicle that passed just prior to the accident that showed the vehicles passing each other just prior to the accident.
One of the witnesses was an individual who talked to Matheson while he was in his vehicle as medical responders arrived. He stated that the suspect was dazed and mentioned that he was trying to merge back into his lane when the accident occurred.
The witness who provided the dash cam video then saw the accident in his rear-view mirror and then pulled over. He returned to the location of the accident where he was asked to airdrop the video to officers on the scene and eventually to give the memory card from the dash camera to Detective Hickman.
The medical examiner’s reports indicated that the cause of death for both Slam and Himmelberge was blunt force trauma.
The toxicology results indicated that Matheson was positive for THC. Indicating that he had active THC in his blood at the time the blood was drawn. Detective Hickman testified that Matheson indicated that he had a card for medical marijuana, but Detective Hickman was unable to locate one. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention notes that marijuana can impair important skills needed for driving. Including, slowing reaction time and ability to make decisions, impaired coordination, and distorting perception.
A witness to the accident describes the situation as follows. He and his wife turned from Eagle Mountain Blvd right onto SR-73. Just after he turns a Nissan turns into the merge lane behind him. Then a truck turns into the lane of traffic and tries to pass the Nissan. The Nissan then cuts the truck off by going into the lane of traffic. The truck then goes into the merging land to pass the Nissan. The Nissan then speeds up making it impossible for the Truck to get ahead of the Nissan. After the merge lane ends, the Truck is still parallel to the Nissan and driving on the shoulder. The Truck and the Nissan make contact with each other twice. Then the truck goes out into the shoulder and back twice, loses control then enters the other lane of traffic, where it collides with the victim’s vehicle.
A court date has been set for October.
The Utah County Sheriff’s office released this press release explaining the incident on June 4, 2023.
*** PRESS RELEASE June 4, 2023 ***
Today at about 12:30 PM Deputies with the Utah County Sheriff’s Office assigned to Eagle Mountain responded to a report of a serious crash on SR-73 at about mile marker 30 in Eagle Mountain. When they arrived on scene they learned that a 48 year old man and a 47 year old woman, both from Salt Lake County, died in the crash.
Investigators learned that the driver of a 2016 Ford F-150 and the driver of a 2014 Nissan Maxima became involved in a road rage incident near Brandon Park in the city center area of Eagle Mountain. The driver of the Maxima reported that the driver of the F-150 pulled onto a road in front of him. The incident continued north on Eagle Mountain Boulevard until it reached the intersection with SR-73, where both vehicles turned right and drove east. The driver of the Maxima said the F-150 was close behind him, then moved into the east bound emergency lane, beside the Maxima, to his right. The driver of the F-150 then rammed the Maxima from the side. The driver of the Maxima then began to stop. At this point it appears the driver of the F-150 lost control, crossed the center line, and crashed head on into a 1987 Porsche 911 that was driving west.
The 48 year old man who was driving the Porsche and the 47 year old woman who was a passenger were killed on impact. The Porsche was completely destroyed as a result of the crash. The bodies of the man and woman who were killed were taken to the Medical Examiner’s Office. The driver of the F-150 was taken by Unified Fire Department ambulance to Intermountain Medical Center in Murray where he was treated and admitted for observation. The driver of the F-150 will be facing criminal charges, but investigators have not yet determined exactly what those charges will be.
For questions contact Sergeant Spencer Cannon, Public Information Officer, Utah County Sheriff’s Office.
Mike Kieffer is an IT geek by hobby and trade, with a BS in Information Systems & Technology. He is a proud father of 10, a grandpa, an author, a journalist, and internet publisher. His motto is to “Elevate, Inspire and Inform”, and he is politically conservative and a Christian. Mike has a passion for technology, writing, and helping others. With a wealth of experience, he is committed to sharing his knowledge with others to help them reach their full potential. He is known for his jackassery or his form of self-expression that encourages boldness, creativity, and risk-taking. It can be a way to push the boundaries and challenge traditional norms, leading to creative solutions and positive change.