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The family of a hit-and-run victim is outraged that the driver accused of hitting their loved one was never booked into jail.
Jamie Arbon is recovering at Intermountain Health Center in Murray. He told KSL that he's angry. He couldn't go on-camera, but neither he nor his family understands why the man accused of hitting him and his pregnant fiancé is still on the streets.
Denise Price, Jamie Arbon's mother, said, "It's hard to be nice. It's hard to be positive when all you want to do is blow 'cause you want justice, but nothing is working out right."
The mug shot of Neil Lewis comes from a previous jail booking. He was not booked in connection with Tuesday's hit-and-run in Midvale, even though police said he drove into Jamie Arbon and Kari Bushnell while they were walking on a sidewalk on State Street.
Midvale police Sgt. John Salazar said, "My detectives wanted to book him at the time we caught him." But police said when they found Lewis three hours after the crash, they had a real problem on their hands. Salazar said, "As my detective was interviewing him, he goes into an overdose behavior. He's overdosing on some pharmaceutical narcotic. We have to call EMS to the station to stabilize him and transport him to the hospital."
So why police didn't put him behind bars after he went through detox? "As callous as it may seem, leaving the scene of an accident, even an injury accident is a misdemeanor," Salazar said. So is DUI. Midvale police say they typically don't book people in jail on misdemeanor charges. To the victim's family, it just doesn't seem right. Sandra Marshall, Jamie Arbon's grandmother, said, "He could run. He may be out there in a day or two hitting somebody else."
Midvale police say they're just trying to build the strongest case possible against Lewis. They'll submit their evidence to the county attorney Monday.
E-mail: gkennedy@ksl.com
