Ogden man arrested in Lehi auto-pedestrian crash that killed a 15-year-old girl, injured her brother

Lehi police arrested a 31-year-old Ogden man on Thursday in the case of two children who were hit by a car in early March.

Arely Hernandez-Cuenca, 15, and her 13-year-old brother were waiting at a crossing island at 3600 W. 2100 North when a car struck them on the afternoon of March 4, police said. The vehicle, a silver Chrysler 300, was traveling eastbound from Redwood Road when it left the road and hit the two teenagers, throwing them onto a grassy median.

Arely died from her injuries, and her brother suffered internal injuries and “several lower extremity injuries,” authorities said in March.

When police arrived at the scene, they found the driver sitting outside of his vehicle on the ground, according to probable cause documents. He told police he didn’t know what happened, and that he didn’t have a license, which authorities later found out was suspended.

Blood test results showed the man had THC and oxycodone in his system at the time of the crash, but he was not prescribed any medication in the last five years, documents state. The driver told officers on the day of the accident that he would have marijuana in his system from smoking it four days prior.

When the man was interviewed, he told officers that he had fallen asleep while driving from work. Dash camera footage confirmed the man was driving at the speed limit as he approached the intersection, but he then left the roadway without braking or any evasive maneuvering. Documents state this is consistent with the driver being asleep or unconscious.

The driver previously pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance in 2019.

from The Salt Lake Tribune https://ift.tt/FPucHiw