A second driver has been indicted in connection with the tragic road rage incident in Eagle Mountain that claimed lives back in June 2023. Michael Alan Landen, 42, of Eagle Mountain, is facing charges of two counts of negligent homicide, qualified as class A misdemeanors, and reckless driving, labeled as a class B misdemeanor. Landen was behind the wheel of a white Nissan Maxima involved in the fatal situation, as detailed in court documents.
Previously, 31-year-old Peterson Drew Matheson pleaded guilty to two counts of manslaughter over the deaths of Michaela "Misha" Himmleberger, 47, and Rodney Salm, 48. Following a guilty plea, Matheson was sentenced in January to two consecutive terms of zero to five years in Utah State Prison. According to court records cited by KSL, Landen's charges were filed in the 4th District Court just four days after Matheson's sentencing.
The fatal crash occurred on state Route 73 when Matheson's Ford F-150 struck the victims' 1987 Porsche 911 Carrera head-on as he tried to overtake Landen's Maxima. As per ABC4, based on dashboard camera footage, noted that Matheson swerved onto the shoulder in an apparent passing maneuver that failed disastrously. Subsequent contact between the two speeding vehicles escalated until the pickup crossed into the oncoming lane, resulting in the fatal collision.
Charging documents further allege Landen contributed to the crash due to his aggressive driving behavior, quoting an accident reconstruction report that concluded Landen prioritized "his right to unrelentingly and unsafely occupy a traffic lane" over the "the safety of people and property around him," as detailed by KSL. Landen, who reported to investigators that he was driving between 60 mph and 65 mph, was estimated to be traveling at 74 mph just before the crash alongside Matheson.
Both individuals involved in the incident, each in their vehicle, maintained high speeds without yielding, leading to a loss that echoed through the Eagle Mountain community. KUTV reported that the victims of this reckless display were killed on SR-73. As the case continues to move through the courts, many are left grappling with the senseless violence that spiraled out from a moment of uncontrolled anger on the road.
