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SARATOGA SPRINGS — A man accused of hitting and killing a 16-year-old boy in Saratoga Springs last month was driving on a suspended license at the time of the crash, according to court documents.
On May 25, Ammon Chandler Blake was making a left turn at the intersection of Redwood Road and West Harvest Hills when he was hit by a car that ran a red light, according to police. Blake, a 16-year-old Westlake High School student, was killed in the collision.
The driver of the vehicle was also injured. As of Thursday, the case was still under investigation and no charges had been filed.
But according to a series of search warrant affidavits filed in 4th District Court on the day of the crash, the 27-year-old driver of the Mercedes-Benz accused of T-boning Blake's car "is an alcohol restricted driver and currently has a suspended driver's license for failure to appear" in court.
Because he has not been arrested or charged, KSL.com is not naming the South Jordan driver at this time.
When the crash happened, Saratoga Springs police said they were investigating a possible road rage aspect to the case and looking into reports that the Mercedes driver was driving recklessly.
Emotions running high in @saratogasprngut where family and friends are remembering 16yr old Ammon Blake. Tragically killed by a car that ran a red light. Police are investigating road rage. @KSL5TV at 6 pic.twitter.com/3LIive6gjO
— Dan Rascon (@TVDanRascon) May 26, 2021
The Mercedes-Benz was tailgating another vehicle on 2100 North through Lehi and again when they both turned south onto Redwood Road, according to the warrant. The driver of the other vehicle was an off-duty agent with the Utah Attorney General's Office who said he did not engage with the driver of the Mercedes-Benz.
When the vehicles turned onto Redwood, the driver of the Mercedes "flipped off the off-duty agent as he drove past and accelerated," the warrant states. As the vehicles approached the traffic signal at Harvest Hills, the agent told investigators he was 400 to 500 yards behind the Mercedes, but "clearly saw the white Mercedes-Benz accelerate through the red light.
"The off-duty agent reported the white Mercedes-Benz ran the red light striking the silver Ford Fusion, T-bone fashion," the affidavit states.
The attorney general's office on Thursday confirmed one of its agents is a witness to the crash.
Another affidavit says that a medic on scene observed that the cellphone of the Mercedes driver was on and a navigation app was on the screen. The driver later told investigators "he was running late on his way to a job when the accident occurred," according to the warrant.
Saratoga Springs police declined Thursday to comment on the case, saying they were "waiting for the results of some investigative processes before it will be ready to take to Utah County Attorney's Office for screening."
Neither police nor the warrants have indicated that impairment was a factor in the crash.
According to court records, the Mercedes-Benz driver had a couple of outstanding court cases for driving with a suspended license at the time of the fatal crash.
In December 2019, he was charged in South Jordan Justice Court with driving on a suspended or revoked license and not having insurance.
Four days later, he was charged with the same crimes in Riverton Justice Court after being pulled over a week after being stopped in South Jordan, according to court records. Warrants were issued for his arrest in both cases in February 2020 for failing to show up to scheduled court hearings.
In August 2019, the same man was charged in Millard County Justice Court and later pleaded guilty to impaired driving and having an open container in his vehicle. He was ordered to serve one day in jail with the remaining 89 days of his jail sentence suspended and was placed on probation. On June 6, a no-bail warrant was issued for his arrest to serve his remaining 89 days in jail after court records indicate he failed to appear in court on a citation.
