Charges filed over boy's injury

Some of the uncertainty over Bridger Hunt's future seemed to lift Tuesday, but the questions are just beginning for the man accused of causing his injury.

Prosecutors announced felony charges against Craig A. Miller, 45, Lehi, Tuesday, including a second-degree felony count of possession or control of an explosive or incendiary device and two third-degree felony counts of child abuse and obstruction of justice.

Miller's homemade firework exploded and sliced into the 11-year-old Orem boy on July 24 as the boy was riding his bike.

Bridger is still in critical condition at Primary Children's Medical Center. But Tuesday afternoon, doctors predicted that, barring an unforeseen complication, his badly damaged leg will be saved. His chance of walking, however, is "impossible to speak to," according to Dr. Eric Scaife, head of trauma services. It is very unlikely he will regain a normal gait; he will most likely need at least a cane or walker.

Over the next few days, doctors will begin to wake him, weaning him from medications that have kept him unconscious. Those used to paralyze him have already been removed.

During a 13-hour surgery that stretched to 4 a.m. Tuesday morning, three specialty teams tackled different aspects of his injury, Scaife said. The surgeon said he "thinks it looks likely" the limb will be salvaged. It's clear, he said, that the boy will remain in the hospital for "at least a month or two." His biggest hurdle is likely to be infection.

But his youth is on his side. "His kidneys, his heart, his blood vessels are great," Scaife said.

Miller's attorney Mark Ethington had not seen the official charges when contacted by phone late Tuesday, but said he was surprised by two of them.

"One (count) is child abuse, which my gut reaction to that is, it doesn't seem appropriate whatsoever in this particular case," Ethington said. "Obstruction of justice I'm kind of baffled at. Because from what I know, from my client and from other sources, my client has done everything that he possibly can to be cooperative."

Deputy Utah County Attorney Craig Johnson said his office has information that indicates Miller was not fully forthright with police after the blast.

"Based on information contained in the police report ... we will be able to show beyond a reasonable doubt at trial that he did obstruct justice by hiding or disposing or concealing materials while an investigation was going on," Johnson said.

Ethington emphasized that the device that accidentally exploded that night was a firework, not a bomb.