Cedar City man in court for road rage shooting; bail granted

By Tracie Sullivan,

A 46-year-old Cedar City man will go to trial on charges related to a road rage shooting last month following a preliminary hearing Tuesday. Fifth District Court Judge Jeffrey Wilcox found there was sufficient probable cause to believe Jason Bryan Stolworthy should go to trial.

The charges against Stolworthy include one count of discharging a firearm with great 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, on June 12 at around 3:30 p.m., Cedar City police received reports of an altercation between two men – one in a car and the other on a motorcycle – near Main and Center Streets.

The police report states that the motorcyclist, later identified as Stolworthy, aggressively followed the car north on Main Street, weaving through traffic and eventually driving in front of the car.

The situation reportedly escalated near the intersection of Fiddlers Canyon Road and Main Street, where both men stopped their vehicles. Cellphone video captured part of the altercation and showed the driver of the car approaching Stolworthy. In the video, Stolworthy can reportedly be seen pulling out a gun and firing several shots.

“I spoke with an individual who witnessed part of the incident. She stated that she first saw the car parked on the street and the motorcycle also parked on the street,” court documents state. “They saw the driver of the car get back into his vehicle and drive off. The motorcyclist got back on the motorcycle and followed the car.”

The driver of the car suffered a gunshot wound to the upper chest and was initially taken to Cedar City Hospital before being flown by helicopter to St. George Regional Hospital.

During the incident, at least one bullet hit a passing car with two passengers inside.

After the shooting, Stolworthy reportedly fled the scene on his motorcycle. He was later tracked down by police in a residential area near Nichols Canyon. Stolworthy was caught attempting to load the motorcycle into the back of a truck.

When Stolworthy saw officers, he reportedly put his hands on his head and walked toward them. A black handgun without a magazine was found in the driveway and Stolworthy’s face was covered in blood.

“The motorcycle’s license plate was partially bent, a typical action taken by motorcyclists to conceal their license plate,” the affidavit states.

Following his arrest, a search warrant was executed on Stolworthy’s residence and vehicles. Officers discovered evidence including a black motorcycle helmet, a green military-style backpack, black gloves, a pistol magazine, and a loose bullet. The bullet found reportedly matched the caliber of the shell casings at the crime scene.

Although a search of Utah court records revealed that Stolworthy had no prior criminal record, the arresting officer requested that the court remand him in custody without holding him on bail.
“This crime involved the use of a firearm and resulted in serious bodily injury. Stolworthy fled the scene. He was caught attempting to load the suspect’s vehicle into another vehicle,” the affidavit states. “He was also found in the vicinity of several firearms. If he were released now, I have reason to believe he would pose a danger to the community and/or flee the jurisdiction.”

Following the preliminary hearing, Stolworthy was released from jail on $200,000 bail, which was posted by a family member on Tuesday.