Teen charged after allegedly assaulting a woman and strangling a man unconscious after fender bender

AMMON — A local teen has been charged after allegedly hitting a woman and strangling a man unconscious early Sunday morning after his car had been hit.

According to a news release from the Bonneville County Sheriff’s Office, Austin Carter Goodwin, 18, was charged with felony aggravated battery and misdemeanor battery. Other potential charges may also be pending, according to the release.

The release states the teen called Bonneville County Dispatch at around 3:40 a.m. to report a vehicle had struck his vehicle while he was at a bonfire in the foothills of Ammon.

The teen told dispatch he was now chasing the other vehicle, and when dispatch told him to stop, he refused.

Eventually, both vehicles stopped, and a fight occurred between the occupants. Goodwin later told dispatch he had hit a woman from the other vehicle and had strangled the man who was driving unconscious.

The release states a deputy spoke with the teen before arriving at the scene of the incident. Goodwin told the deputy that the man was still breathing but not communicating. The teen stopped talking with the deputy as he was arguing with someone in the background.

Upon the deputy’s arrival, a man and a woman were found in their vehicle a mile into the foothills on private property near Ledge Rock Drive.

The release states the man was intoxicated and had injuries to his head and face. Blood covered his face from a laceration to the man’s eye.

The deputy reported the woman also had facial injuries and told the deputy she had been hit in the mouth by the teen.

The teen was found at the 6000 block of 65th South in his car and was detained by deputies.

The man and the woman told deputies they spotted Goodwin chasing them and pulled over to find out why. The victims told deputies that the teen had struck the man multiple times until he was on the ground.

The woman told deputies the man never fought back, but she had gotten involved after seeing the Goodwin strangle the man on the ground. That’s when the teen struck her repeatedly.

Both had gotten back to their vehicles, with Goodwin following and arguing.

The woman said Goodwin had reached into the window and proceeded to strangle the man once again and had pulled the man through the window.

The teen continued to strangle the man until he was unconscious.

Attempting to stop the Goodwin, the woman got involved and told deputies the teen had struck her again.

Speaking with the teen, Goodwin told deputies the man had hit his vehicle but only gave his name and phone number instead of his insurance.

After the chase, the teen told deputies that he and the man had gotten into a shoving match, but when asked about the specifics, Goodwin did not give an exact answer.

Goodwin said both the man and the woman started to fight him, and he had to fight them off until he put the man in a chokehold.

He said the woman was pulling at him, and he struck her.

The teen told deputies that during the incident, the man had pulled a rifle on him but later admitted to only seeing the rifle next to where the woman was sitting in the car.

Speaking to the man and the woman, both told deputies they never used the rifle.

The release states the man and the woman were treated and released by ambulance personnel.

Deputies determined the teen was the aggressor in the altercation due to the injury on one of the victims, where the man lost consciousness at least once.

Though Goodwin has been charged with these crimes, it does not necessarily mean he committed them. Everyone is presumed innocent until they are proven guilty.