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WEST JORDAN — A West Valley City woman accused of fatally hitting a motorcyclist with her car while under the influence and then leaving the scene has been charged with two felonies.
Shelby Goodman, 30, was charged Thursday in 3rd District Court with automobile homicide due to criminal negligence while driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, a second-degree felony, and failure to remain at an accident causing serious injury, a third-degree felony.
In the early morning hours of June 16, 35-year-old Jacob Smith of West Jordan was killed when the motorcycle he was riding collided with a car, reportedly driven by Goodman, who was making a left turn at 2036 W. 7800 South.
Smith was taken to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead from his injuries.
Goodman did not stop after the crash and turned into an apartment complex, according to charging documents, and police found her getting out of the car and attempting to go into one of the apartments.
When an officer asked Goodman what happened, she at first said nothing had happened, but later said, “It’s my fault,” after the officer put her in handcuffs, the charges say.
The officer noticed at the time that Goodman’s breath smelled like alcohol and she was slurring her words, according to charging documents. Goodman declined to take a standardized field sobriety test, telling the officer that if she took a blood test or used a breathalyzer, she would be over the legal limit, a probable cause affidavit states.
Police then obtained a search warrant to test Goodman’s blood. According to a search warrant affidavit, Goodman’s blood alcohol content registered at 0.24%, or nearly five times the legal limit of .05%.
Goodman was charged June 16 in West Jordan Justice Court with DUI, a class B misdemeanor, but the case was dismissed four days later in anticipation of felony charges.
She was convicted of DUI in 2015 and sentenced to two days in jail and one year probation, court records show.
A warrant for Goodman’s arrest was issued Thursday.
