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ST. GEORGE — A Hurricane man appeared for sentencing Jan. 24 in connection with a 2019 fatal crash on state Route 9 and 6300 West that killed a college student.
Christopher Rhys Weaver appeared in 5th District Court before Judge Keith C. Barnes to be sentenced on third-degree felony automobile homicide, a charge that was amended from a second-degree felony. The jury previously returned a guilty verdict on the lesser charge in a four-day trial that culminated Dec. 3
The 39-year-old Hurricane resident was also found guilty of speeding, an infraction.
According to the state, on Oct. 11, 2019, Weaver was heading to work in a 2017 Ford pickup truck at more than 70 mph in a 60 mph zone when he came upon the stopped traffic and failed to stop. When the defendant slammed into the back of a Mazda hatchback, the impact caused injuries so severe that the driver, 20-year-old Kylie B. Park, of Riverton, never regained consciousness at the scene and died shortly after arriving at the hospital.
According to trial testimony, Park was on fall break and going to Zion National Park to go hiking on the day of the crash.
The Park family presented a victim impact statement in the form of a video to show the court what a giving person the 20-year-old was and the opportunities that were still ahead of her before the Oct. 11 crash.
Read the full article at St. George News.
