The Detroit driver who stopped after striking a 10-year-old boy is in critical condition his family said Thursday.
Steve Utash, a tree trimmer from from Roseville, Mich., struck David Harris as he stepped off a curb onto a busy residential street in front of a gas station. He pulled over his vehicle to check on the child when a mob of about 30 people in the neighborhood assaulted him.
Detroit police Sgt. Michael Woody said the driver sustained head injuries from the assault and “could potentially die.”
“He got his,” one witness told the Detroit Free Press. “He got beat up real bad.”
Utash’s daughter, Felicia Utash told the newspaper after he was beaten, he was robbed of his money, his wallet and his credit cards. “What happened to my dad is a shame,” Felicia, 20, wrote in a Facebook message. “He was doing the right thing like he always does.” The Utash family has started a fundraiser to assist him with medical bills due to his lack of insurance.
A pending investigation will determine if any charges will be filed against the driver. Police said that Utash did not appear to be speeding or broke any traffic laws. Surveillance video from the gas station shows the young boy being knocked down by Utash’s company vehicle as he stepped onto the street. A witness at the scene told investigators she “saw the boy get hit by the truck after he and about three other children attempted to cross the intersection…”
Sgt. Woody said they do not believe Harris’ family was involved in the mass beating but have arrested his father on an unrelated warrant and will hold him for questioning about the assault.
Harris and Utash were transported to the same local hospital for treatment. As of Thursday night, Utash has not regained consciousness. James Duston Jr., David’s godfather commented that Harris should recover but is not out of the hospital. ”He’s swollen he’s got abrasions, and he’s hurting,” Duston said.