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HURRICANE, Washington County — An Arizona man was charged for allegedly hitting two teen girls in a crosswalk in southern Utah.
Preston James Camp, 29, of Fredonia, Arizona, was charged Wednesday in 5th District Court with two counts of aggravated assault, a second-degree felony; obstructing justice, a third-degree felony; failing to remain at the scene of an accident with injury, a class A misdemeanor; and two traffic infractions.
On April 10, about 10 p.m., a vehicle ran a red light at 1150 W. State Street in Hurricane and hit two 15-year-old girls in a crosswalk, according to police. Witnesses told police the vehicle was "traveling about 60 mph and made no attempt to stop at the light," according to charging documents.
Both girls were "severely" injured, the charges state.
Witnesses told police the vehicle had also run a red light at another intersection and was driving "recklessly," according to the charges.
On Wednesday, detectives received information that the vehicle was in the border town of Fredonia, according to police. Hurricane police along with law enforcers from the Kanab Police Department, Kane County Sheriff's Office and Fredonia Marshals Office located a 2005 Chevrolet Malibu in Fredonia and found it had damage consistent with being involved in an auto-pedestrian crash, the charges state. It also appeared that someone had attempted to spray paint the car black, according to the charges.
Detectives identified Camp as the owner of the vehicle and found a person who was in the backseat of the car at the time the girls were hit. That witness told police "Preston knew he had struck something but continued to drive. Even when a witness said they thought it was a person, Preston said it was a deer and continued to drive. The witness stated Preston took the vehicle to Nevada where the car was painted black, from its original color of silver," according to the charges.
An arrest warrant was written for Camp, who was picked up by the Fredonia Marshals Office and later transported to the Kane County Jail.
