A Farmington man accused of striking a woman and her dog with a pickup was on a pre-prosecution diversion program after allegedly striking and killing a woman with his pickup in January.
Kolton Begay, 18, was charged March 2 with a third-degree felony of knowingly leaving the scene of an accident, causing great bodily harm or death. He also was driving without a valid driver’s license at the time.
The charges were dismissed in lieu of him entering a pre-prosecution diversion program. However, Chief Deputy District Attorney Brian Decker told the Tri-City Record, “he was terminated from the program after allegedly drove drunk on Sunday and reportedly struck Evangaline Shorty and her dog with his GMC Canyon pickup.
Begay was charged with great bodily harm by vehicle, a third-degree felony; cruelty to animals a misdemeanor; aggravated DWI, a petty misdemeanor; and failure to maintain traffic lanes, a petty misdemeanor, according to jail records.
He reportedly killed Shorty’s Cane Corso terrier in the crash and caused her to suffer severe injuries.
The first time he allegedly struck someone with his GMC Canyon was Jan. 2 near the intersection of New Mexico 371 and County Road 8501, where at 1:47 a.m. Begay reportedly struck Lillian Redhouse killing her on impact.
Begay left the scene of the crash, and his mother, Cheryl Begay, contacted New Mexico State Police on Jan. 7 saying she “believed their truck had been involved in the crash,” according to the statement of probably cause.
Farmington Police captured the pickup on video, using its Real-time Crime Center, placing it near the scene of the crash. When State Police interviewed Begay, he reportedly admitted to driving in the area and striking what he believed to be a deer, court records state.
He also “denied that he had consumed any substance which would have caused impairment” and said “he did not believe he had struck a person,” according to the statement of probable cause.
Investigators thoroughly searched the pickup and found blood as well as damage consistent with hitting a pedestrian. Also, “disconnected wiring” for a fog light was found at the crash site.
That wiring was “plugged back into its corresponding connection point in the fog light assembly. This connection further verified that the seized GMC Canyon was the truck that struck Lillian Redhouse,” according to the statement of probably cause.
Kolton Begay was placed into the pre-prosecution diversion program on June 17, but when the new charges were filed on Aug. 16, the dismissed charges were refiled, according to court records.
Begay waived his preliminary examination, and the case has been bound over to the 11th Judicial District Court.
Begay was released from the San Juan County Detention Center into Pretrial Services. He was ordered to not consume alcohol or drugs and to not leave his home after 9 p.m. daily.
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