FARMINGTON — An Ogden man who police say was intoxicated when he crashed the ATV he was riding, killing his passenger, has been charged.
Matthew Daniel Murphy, 40, was charged Monday in 2nd District Court with automobile homicide, a second-degree felony.
On Sept. 12, Murphy was riding an off-highway vehicle in Farmington Canyon with 30-year-old Trevor Dykes.
“Murphy later described he and Dykes drank several beers while driving through Farmington Canyon in the OHV,” according to charging documents.
Murphy told police at one point he hit his brakes, and his vehicle went sideways toward a cliff, the charges state.
“Murphy turned the wheel, causing the OHV to spin around and stop with its back tires hanging over the edge of the cliff. The OHV then started to slowly tip over backward off the cliff. The OHV then rolled down the hill numerous times resulting in Dykes’ death,” according to charging documents.
Search and rescue crews later found Dykes’ body still strapped into the OHV. Murphy’s blood alcohol content still measured at 0.11% an hour after the crash occurred, the charges state.