Man sentenced for abandoning crash that left two hospitalized
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IDAHO FALLS – A 50-year-old man was sentenced Thursday after causing a crash in 2021 that left two in the hospital.
District Judge Michael Whyte sentenced Joseph Wilcox to a minimum of 2.5 years and a maximum of 5 years in prison.
Whyte suspended the sentence and placed Wilcox on three years of probation, with the condition that he spend 30 days in jail and pay restitution to the victims.
Wilcox was initially charged with felony leaving the scene of an accident resulting in an injury or death. He pleaded not guilty to that charge in January.
In May, Wilcox signed a plea agreement that amended the original felony charge to a felony malicious injury to property charge. Wilcox then agreed to plead guilty, and the prosecution agreed to recommend probation at sentencing.
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Wilcox’s defense attorney Paul Butikofer argued for an underlying prison sentence of a minimum of two years and a maximum of four years but for Whyte to suspend the sentence and place Wilcox on probation for two and a half years.
Butifoker stated that Wilcox is in poor health and needs to be able to work full-time to pay off his fines and restitution to the victims.
Prosecuting attorney Scott Davis recommended probation but asked that the underlying sentence be a minimum of 2.5 years and a maximum of 5 years in prison.
“For what happened, we are very fortunate that there were no significant loss other than the victim’s loss of the vehicle,” said Davis. “With that, your honor, it gives us a reminder of the significant danger that operating while under the influence can have.”
Wilcox provided a statement to the court, at one point turning around to face the victims of the accident while he apologized.
“I just want to say that I’m sorry. I wish it never happened,” said Wilcox. “I feel terrible. I’m sorry for what happened.”
Whyte explained his reasoning for imposing the sentence by reviewing Wilcox’s past criminal history, including multiple DUIs in Idaho and California and a charge for driving under the influence of a controlled substance in California.
“By my count, it was four prior misdemeanors, and you had three other felonies going back to 1994 in California,” said Whyte. “This is important because I think controlled substances or alcohol were probably involved in this accident.”
Background of the case
On Dec. 16, Idaho Falls Police were called to an accident on South Boulevard at the Common Cents gas station.
When they arrived, officers say they found a man and woman bleeding in the back room behind the counter.
Responding Idaho Falls Fire firefighters told officers they passed an abandoned Nissan Versa on their way to the gas station at the intersection of South Boulevard and Poplar Street.
According to officers, the car was “littered with debris,” had a broken front axle, and the front was “crumbed and smashed.”
Officers noticed blood in the snow on the road next to the driver’s side door.
The vehicle’s driver was identified as an 18-year-old man driving north on South Boulevard before he was in a head-on collision with a dark pickup truck. He said the truck left the scene, but he was able to get a picture of the license plate.
Police told EastIdahoNews.com that the 18-year-old was driving with a minor, and she was taken to the hospital. She reported a bloody nose, split lip, head and neck pain, and chest pain. The man had minor injuries but did not need to go to the hospital.
Officers looked up the license plate and identified it as a silver Toyota Tundra registered to Wilcox. They soon found his address and began toward his home.
“As we approached the house, we heard a male voice state, ‘F***,’” the officer wrote.
Wilcox came to the door and spoke with officers, where he confirmed the pickup truck was his.
He told officers he was driving home from a Christmas party and pulled into the middle of the road. He said he had his blinker turned on to make a turn when a car slid into him, documents say.
He then admitted he “f***** up” and was in an accident. Wilcox told officers he did not know why he did not stay at the accident scene and said he “panicked.”
He said he drank three beers at the Christmas party earlier, and police wrote that Wilcox appeared intoxicated.
The officer could smell the odor of alcohol on him, and his eyes were glassy. He was also talking with slurred speech and had a hard time keeping his balance.
Officers say Wilcox was very emotional and confused about which roads he had been driving on. He did not appear to know that the accident occurred where it did and thought it had been much closer to his home.
Wilcox repeatedly confirmed that he knew an accident occurred but did not think anyone was injured. He also became emotional when officers told him someone was hurt in the accident.
Wilcox was then taken to the hospital for a blood sample before he was taken to the Bonneville County Jail.