By Tracie Sullivan,
A 46-year-old Cedar City man has been bound over for trial following a preliminary hearing Tuesday on charges related to a road rage shooting incident last month.Fifth District Court Judge Jeffrey Wilcox found sufficient probable cause to believe Jason Bryan Stolworthy should face trial.
Stolworthy’s charges include one count of felony discharge of a firearm causing serious bodily injury, a first-degree felony; one count of aggravated assault, a second-degree felony; one count of obstruction of justice, a second-degree felony; two counts of reckless endangerment, a class A misdemeanor; and one count of reckless driving, a class B misdemeanor.
According to court documents, Cedar City Police received reports on June 12 at around 3:30 p.m. of an altercation between two males—one in a car and the other on a motorcycle—near Main Street and Center Street.
The police report states that the motorcyclist, later identified as Stolworthy, aggressively followed the car north on Main Street, weaving in and out of traffic before pulling in front of it.
The situation allegedly escalated near the intersection of Fiddlers Canyon Road and Main Street, where both men stopped their vehicles. A cell phone video captured part of the altercation, showing the car’s driver approaching Stolworthy. In the video, Stolworthy is reportedly seen pulling out a gun and firing several shots.
“I spoke with an individual who witnessed part of the incident. They stated that they first saw the car parked on the roadway, with the motorcycle also parked in the roadway,” the court documents state. “They saw the driver of the car get back in his vehicle and drive off. The motorcyclist got back on the motorcycle and drove after the car”
The car’s driver sustained a gunshot wound to the upper chest and was initially taken to Cedar City Hospital before being airlifted to St. George Regional Hospital.
During the incident, at least one bullet hit a passing car with two occupants inside.
After the shooting, Stolworthy reportedly fled the scene on his motorcycle, later located by officers in a residential neighborhood near Nichols Canyon. Stolworthy was found attempting to load the motorcycle into the back of a truck.
Upon seeing the officers, Stolworthy reportedly put his hands on his head and walked towards them. A black handgun, missing its magazine, was found on the driveway, and Stolworthy had fresh blood on his face.
“The motorcycle had its license plate partially bent, typically an action taken by motorcyclists to hide their plate,” the affidavit states.
Following his arrest, a search warrant was executed at Stolworthy’s residence and vehicles. Officers discovered evidence including a black motorcycle helmet, a green military-style backpack, black gloves, a handgun magazine, and a loose bullet. The bullet found allegedly matched the caliber of the casings at the shooting scene.
While a search of Utah court records found no previous criminal history for Stolworthy, the arresting officer requested the court hold him without bail.
“This offense involves the use of a firearm and resulted in serious bodily injury. Stolworthy fled from the incident. He was found attempting to load the suspect vehicle into another vehicle,” the affidavit states. “He was also found in close proximity to multiple firearms. If he were released at this time, I have reason to believe he would be a danger to the community and/or flee the jurisdiction.”
Following the preliminary hearing, Stolworthy was released from jail on a $200,000 bondable bail — $2,000 — which a family member posted Tuesday.