PROVO, Utah — A Utah County Sheriff's Office deputy could avoid all punishment after agreeing to plead guilty to a misdemeanor in the death of a BYU student in a fatal accident in 2021.
Joseph Richardson was originally charged with second-degree felony manslaughter for his involvement in an accident in which 22-year-old Joseph Spencer was killed. The agreement Friday allowed Richardson to plead guilty to a Class A misdemeanor.
On March 16, 2021, Richardson was in his own vehicle headed to a Pleasant Grove home where a man had fired at police officers and barricaded himself inside. Spencer was pulling out of a Taco Bell at 400 North and 900 East when he was struck by Richardson's Toyota Tacoma pickup truck.
Without emergency sirens or lights on his truck, Richardson was driving nearly 58 miles per hour, which was higher than posted speed limit, when he hit Spencer, who died at the scene.
While Richardson could receive a 364 day prison sentence and a maximum $2,500 fine, his plea is being held in abeyance for 18 months after which he could forego punishment if he does not violate any law during that period of time, as well as keeping the court notified of his current address at all times and appearing for all scheduled hearings.
