Teen who hit and killed bicyclist in Magna charged

MAGNA — A 17-year-old Cyprus High School student who hit and killed a bicyclist on her birthday in October has been charged with several misdemeanors.

The girl was charged Wednesday in Salt Lake Justice Court with improper lookout, careless driving, failing to drive on the right side of the road and illegal movement on the road. All of the charges are class B or C misdemeanors.

On Oct. 19, the girl was on a residential street near 8800 West and 3300 South about 11:30 a.m. It was the girl's 17th birthday and her pickup truck was decorated by her friends with painted dots, including part of her windshield, and she had balloons inside the cab with her.

The girl, who was driving with a friend, was "driving down the center of the road because there were no cars coming towards her," according to the charges.

Someone opened a window, which caused the balloons in the backseat of the car to move. The girl looked over her right shoulder to see what was happening.

"As she did so, her truck began to drift to the eastbound side of the street into the oncoming traffic lane," the charges state.

Karen Johnson, an avid bicyclist who was wearing a helmet, and a male co-worker were riding their bicycles at the time and could see that the driver was not paying attention to them.

To avoid being hit, the male cyclist veered to the right and Johnson to the left.

The teen driver, however, saw the cyclists at the last minute and swerved in an effort to avoid a collision. She missed the male cyclist but struck and killed Johnson.

If convicted, the teen driver could face fines and possible jail time.

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