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WEST JORDAN — A 27-year-old motorist who allegedly ran a red light, crashing into another vehicle and critically injuring a 17-year-old girl, may have been high on heroin at the time, according to newly released court documents.
On Nov. 23, West Jordan police believe a Ford Ranger ran a red light at the intersection of 8200 South and Redwood Road. A Honda Accord with a 17-year-old female passenger and a 19-year-old male driver were hit on the passenger side.
The girl, whose identity was not released, had to be extricated from the vehicle. According to the emergency responders at the scene, she was taken to a local hospital "in extremely critical condition with severe head trauma. Her prognosis is unknown at the time of this affidavit. Paramedics on scene informed officers that he did not believe that the victim would live."
The next day, West Jordan police said doctors at Intermountain Medical Center reported that her condition had stabilized.
When police found the driver of the Ranger, he was wearing latex gloves, according to a newly unsealed search warrant affidavit. Other latex gloves and a roll of aluminum foil were also discovered.
When detectives questioned him, he stated that "he was a heroin user and that he used three balloons per day," the affidavit states. A police K9 later indicated there was heroin in both of the Ranger's doors, officers wrote.
He was not booked into the Salt Lake County Jail. As of Tuesday, no criminal charges had been filed against the driver. Court records show the man was convicted of an amended charge of attempted drug possession in April and pleaded no contest to drug possession in 2014.
