TAYLORSVILLE -- Criminal charges against a man in connection with his son's death in a motorcycle crash.
Shannon Terrell Moore, 48, was charged in Salt Lake City's 3rd District Court on Friday with child abuse homicide, a second-degree felony; unlawful motorcycle riding, minor not wearing protective headgear and driving on a suspended license, all class C misdemeanors.
According to a probable cause statement filed with the charges, police said Moore took his 22-month-old son on a motorcycle ride through an apartment complex at 4521 Bridgeside Landing.
"Moore had his 22-month-old son, R.J., sitting on his lap in front of him," police wrote in an affadavit.
Prosecutors said the boy was not wearing a helmet, and people nearby had warned him that it was dangerous and to slow down. Police said he was estimated to be going between 41 and 47 miles per hour when the motorcycle crashed.
The boy was killed instantly, police said in charging documents.
"An unfortunate tragedy," Salt Lake County District Attorney Sim Gill said Friday. "It just goes to say we need to be really careful with our children, especially when we engage in activities that might be fine for adults but are inherently dangerous for children."
No one answered the door at Moore's apartment in Taylorsville on Friday night. An arrest warrant was issued for him.
