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MURRAY — A Salt Lake woman was charged Wednesday with hitting and killing a pedestrian, then driving away.
Ashley Landa-Rodriguez, 24, is charged in 3rd District Court with automobile homicide and leaving the scene of an accident involving death, both third-degree felonies; and reckless driving, a class B misdemeanor.
On Aug. 22, sometime between 3:30 a.m. and 4 a.m., an Infiniti Q56 took the 4500 South off-ramp from I-15 and struck a pedestrian in the shoulder of the road, police say.
The driver of the Infiniti immediately got back on the freeway and exited at 5300 South, according to charging documents. Preston Smith died at the scene from his injuries.
Shortly after the crash, a tow truck driver noticed the Infiniti come to a stop near 5325 S. 150 West and saw that it had front-end damage, according to the charges. The man followed the Infiniti and called police. The witness stated that as he was following the driver, she was having a hard time staying in her lane, sped through a parking lot and at one point had her hazard lights on.
Police say Rodriguez stopped in the Intermountain Medical Center parking lot where a Murray officer found her. The officer noted that Rodriguez showed signs of impairment and she admitted she had been drinking that night, according to the charges. A blood test allegedly showed Rodriguez's blood-alcohol level was at 0.05%, which is the legal limit in Utah.
