A plea deal in fatal crash

A man driving a stolen truck who killed two people, including a pedestrian, while fleeing police says he plans to plead guilty to three felony charges.

Donald Lee Snyder, 36, wept throughout a hearing Tuesday and tearfully told 3rd District Judge Robin Reese he will plead guilty to two counts of manslaughter and one of possession of a dangerous weapon by a restricted person, all second-degree felonies.

As part of a proposed plea bargain, two other charges will be dismissed: second-degree felony theft by receiving stolen property and third-degree felony failure to respond to an officer's command.

Snyder, who has a long criminal history and was on federal supervised release at the time of this incident, told the judge he understood the rights he was waiving when he declined to proceed with the preliminary hearing originally scheduled for Tuesday.

He is scheduled to officially enter his plea Aug. 3.

Douglas Butcher, 36, and Knut Odland, 49, died as a result of the April 15 crashes.

Relatives of the two victims cried in the courtroom, as did members of Snyder's family.

"From day one, he has expressed to me his sincere regret over what happened," defense attorney Patrick Corum told the judge.

Corum said it is well-known what happened, but not why it happened, and he sought additional time to look into an undisclosed "medical condition" and a mental health evaluation for Snyder.

Prosecutor Langdon Fisher said his office did not oppose the extra time but offered the judge two amended charges of second-degree felony automobile homicide that could be alternatives to the manslaughter charges if Snyder changes his mind and wants a trial.

Fisher later said prosecutors believe Snyder was under the influence of some drug, but declined to name it.

Prosecutors contend that on April 15, Snyder was driving the stolen truck erratically near 1750 S. State. A UHP trooper spotted him and began to follow, although without sirens and lights.

Snyder for some reason whipped into a restaurant parking lot, turned abruptly and then raced off, which prompted the trooper to turn on the lights and siren. The trooper waited for traffic to clear before leaving the parking lot and again before going through the intersection of 1700 South and State, according to police.

Snyder, meanwhile, ran a red light at Main Street and crashed into a car driven by Butcher, 36. The impact sent Snyder's vehicle careening onto the sidewalk, hitting pedestrian Odland, 49. Police found a sawed-off shotgun in the truck.

Snyder remains in the Salt Lake County Jail on $500,000 cash-only bail.

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E-mail: lindat@desnews.com