A 19-year-old Vernal man has been charged in a 2024 crash that killed a motorcyclist who was just minutes from home after a cross county journey. Court documents show that on May 1st, 19-year-old Wrexten Herbert Sharp was charged with 2nd Degree Felony Automobile Homicide for the 2024 crash. According to the Probable Cause Statement, on July 14, 2024, in Uintah County, at approximately 10:35 p.m., at the intersection of SR-40 and 2200 East (milepost 149), the defendant operated a 2013 Mazda 3 eastbound on SR-40 and, in a criminally negligent manner, turned left onto 2200 East without yielding to an oncoming westbound motorcycle. The motorcycle struck the right front of the defendant’s vehicle at approximately 55 mph, ejecting the rider, who died from his injuries.” Event data information from the Mazda’s airbag control module showed that Sharp was “lightly braking while executing the left turn immediately prior to the collision. Road conditions were dry and traffic was light immediately prior to the crash. A blood sample was taken from the defendant several hours after the crash which showed a measurable controlled substance in the defendant’s system…When speaking with an officer the defendant’s eyes appeared red and cloudy. When asked about using marijuana, the defendant admitted to using the substance earlier that same day.” In the week following the crash, Utah Highway Patrol identified the victim as 53-year-old Jason Lee Schultz. A GoFundMe page under the name ‘Help Jason Schultz’s Family in Their Time of Need’ said that Jason was returning home from the East Coast where he went to help his son, an active duty Army Servicemember, return to his duty station. As of May 1st, Wrexten Herbert Sharp was not in custody but a court summons had been filed in 8th District Court.
