George Parker Hunter, 81, pleaded guilty to leaving the scene of an accident and negligent homicide in the death of 9-year-old Dalton Gibbs. On Wednesday, Hunter appeared in court for sentencing in Utah. The judge suspended the statutory sentence of up to five years in prison and instead sentenced Hunter to 75 days in jail followed by three years' probation.
On April 29, 2025, Hunter was driving a white pickup truck when he turned into an intersection and struck Dalton, who was riding his bicycle home from school. Witnesses said Hunter dragged the boy 50 feet with his truck while they tried to get him to stop. According to court documents, witnesses attempted to wave Hunter down and communicate that Dalton was underneath his vehicle. Instead of stopping, Hunter sped up and drove away.
When police questioned Hunter at the Spanish Fork Fairgrounds nearby, he told them he saw Dalton's bicycle under another driver's car and thought that driver was waving him away. An officer at the scene overheard Hunter say, "I knew I hit a bicycle, but I didn't think there was a kid on it."
Dalton's parents, Tyler Gibbs and Kim Gibbs, requested that Hunter not serve any time in prison. Tyler Gibbs told the court that Dalton's death "has left an agonizing void. It's been excruciating. Every moment is now shrouded in sorrow due to his absence. We miss him every day." He also stated that when he informed his wife of Dalton's death, she said, referring to Hunter, "[W]e need to pray for that man."
The judge recognized that Hunter admitted his role in Dalton's death but said "the tragedy you've caused is incomprehensible." Taking the Gibbses' request into consideration, the judge imposed the reduced sentence.