Man Arrested for Attempted Homicide After Ramming Vehicle into Parked SUV

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ICARO Media Group
Politics
25/12/2023 19h21

SALT LAKE CITY - A man was arrested on Christmas Day after allegedly driving under the influence and intentionally ramming his vehicle into a parked SUV while the driver was unloading his children. The incident occurred on Christmas Eve in the area of 300 South and 1100 West, prompting multiple 911 calls reporting a hit-and-run.

According to the Salt Lake City Police Department, the victim, who was visiting family in town, had parked his SUV and was in the process of removing his three children from the vehicle when the suspect rapidly accelerated his car and slammed into the victim's SUV. Remarkably, the victim managed to leap onto the suspect's vehicle, avoiding being pinned down, before being thrown to the ground due to the force of the crash.

Fortunately, the victim sustained non-critical injuries, while none of the children were harmed during the incident. The victim told authorities that he did not know the suspect and had no previous interactions with him.

Several surveillance cameras captured the incident from different angles, revealing that the suspect had parked his vehicle in the middle of the street, waiting for the victim to exit his SUV. The footage illustrates the suspect accelerating without applying the brakes directly at the victim, resulting in a collision at the precise location where the victim had been standing.

The suspect's vehicle was found approximately half a block away, immobilized. Following the incident, the suspect fled the scene but was apprehended as witnesses directed officers to his location. Identified as Michael Floyd Norvell, a 54-year-old man, he was attempting to get onto a nearby freeway onramp on foot when he was taken into custody. During the arrest, officers noticed a strong smell of alcohol emanating from Norvell, who exhibited slurred speech and glossy red eyes.

The motive behind Norvell's actions remains unknown, with investigators yet to establish a connection between him and the victim. The Salt Lake City Police Department has categorized the incident as an isolated but random occurrence.

Norvell was subsequently booked into the Salt Lake County Jail on multiple charges, including four counts of felony attempted homicide, one count of misdemeanor reckless driving, one count of misdemeanor DUI, one count of misdemeanor failure to stay at the scene of a crash with property damage, and two infractions related to allegedly running a stop sign and having an inadequately visible license plate.

As the investigation continues, the Salt Lake City Police Department has denied public access to the surveillance footage, citing its ongoing nature.

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