Impaired Driver Charged with Manslaughter in Doctor’s Death
Criminal charges were filed Tuesday against a man accused of hitting and killing a Salt Lake doctor while driving under the influence of drugs.
A man involved in an accident last December has now been charged with manslaughter for causing a collision that took a doctor’s life. According to KSL News, the person charged, Mitchell Garrett Solstad, 26, rear-ended another car stopped at the intersection of 1300 S and 400 E. After the impact, Solstad fled the scene and was followed by the driver he had just hit.
At one point, the two vehicles were going over 50 mph down Bryan Avenue—where the speed limit is just 25 mph—when Solstad ran a stop sign and slammed into a car driven by Dr. Arthur Miller, a psychiatrist. The impact caused Solstad’s vehicle to flip onto its side, ejecting drug paraphernalia from the cabin. Dr. Miller was taken to a local hospital where he died from his injuries. Blood tests revealed that Solstad had meth, THC, and alcohol in his system. According to the charges filed, Solstad also did not carry basic liability insurance.
Sadly, this crash is another tragic example of the collateral damage caused by drivers who choose to get behind the wheel while under the influence of drugs or alcohol. It also highlights the rationale behind many police agencies’ policies to disengage from high-speed pursuits to reduce the risk of injury or death to innocent bystanders.
From a legal standpoint, there is certainly a valid claim against the impaired driver for running the stop sign and crashing into Dr. Miller. However, the lack of liability insurance significantly limits recovery options. This is, unfortunately, not uncommon—drivers who are reckless enough to drive impaired are often negligent in other areas of responsibility, such as maintaining auto insurance.
A potential wild card in this case is the first victim, the driver who pursued Solstad. Based on the facts reported, that individual may have contributed to the suspect’s continued flight and ultimate disregard of traffic laws. The story notes that the driver was close enough to witness the crash unfold. A jury could reasonably find that this person played a role in escalating the situation and may assign partial fault to him. I would recommend that Dr. Miller’s family consider investigating a claim against this driver’s insurance policy as well.
Ron Kramer is an injury attorney practicing law in West Jordan and throughout Utah.
