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HEBER — A pregnant woman and her unborn baby died Tuesday after the woman and her husband were critically injured during a head-on crash on U.S. Highway 40 near Heber Saturday, officials said.
Shantell Young, 22, of Duchesne, was severely injured when a stolen black SUV traveling west on the highway about 12:40 a.m. veered right, then overcorrected to the left and crashed head-on into the couple's silver Audi, according to Utah Highway Patrol Sgt. Lawrence Hopper.
The pair was transported in critical condition to Utah Valley Hospital via medical helicopter, Hopper said. Young and her baby died three days later.
A GoFundMe account* for the couple was created to help the family pay for medical expenses, the campaign reads.
The driver of the SUV, later identified as Tyson Uresti, 22, fled on foot after the crash, officials said. Officers eventually apprehended him, and he was taken to the hospital before he was booked into jail on suspicion of possessing a stolen vehicle and several other charges, as well as a felony warrant, Utah Highway Patrol officials said.
Charges were filed Monday accusing Uresti of being in a stolen vehicle, a second-degree felony; failing to remain at the scene of an injury accident, a class A misdemeanor; reckless driving, a class B misdemeanor; and failing to stay in his lane, an infraction.
Utah Highway Patrol investigators will be meeting with the county attorney to screen additional charges in connection with the death of Young and her unborn child, officials said.
The charges are the latest in a series of cases against Uresti who, according to court records, has a history of severe mental illness, escaping from care facilities and stealing cars.
Monday's charges are the fifth time Uresti was charged in 2018.
Uresti was charged in February after he escaped from the Utah State Developmental Center and stole a car in American Fork, then fled from police before he was arrested, according to charging documents. He had an outstanding warrant when police arrested him Saturday because he did not show up for a court hearing in connection with February's case, according to court records.
He was also charged with assault in February, court records show.
In May, he again ran away from the developmental center and stole a car in American Fork, according to a Sanpete County Jail report. The case was dismissed in August because Uresti was incompetent to stand trial, court records state.
Uresti was charged with sexual battery a week before the crash, according to court records.
He was also charged in 2014 and 2015 in connection with stealing a car, assault, criminal mischief and disorderly conduct. He was determined to be incompetent to stand trial in all cases.
*KSL.com does not assure that the money deposited to the account will be applied for the benefit of the persons named as beneficiaries. If you are considering a deposit to the account, you should consult your own advisers and otherwise proceed at your own risk.
