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WEST JORDAN — A Colorado woman on a business trip to Utah was charged Tuesday with being impaired and hitting and seriously injuring two motorcyclists, then laughing when informed by police what she had done.
Jordan Alexandra Edwards, 32, of Colorado Springs, is charged in Utah's 3rd District Court with theft, a second-degree felony; plus failing to stop for an officer and two counts of negligently operating a vehicle resulting in serious injury, third-degree felonies.
On Aug. 25, Edwards and another woman were in Utah for a business event. The two were at Top Golf, where Edwards was drinking alcohol, according to charging documents. When the other woman went to the restroom, police say Edwards took the keys to her rental car, a Dodge Challenger, and left.
Later, Edwards ran into the back of a two motorcyclists who were slowing down for a red light on 7000 South and 1300 West.
Both were "hit from behind by Edwards who never slowed down, and continued through the light and left the scene," the charges allege. One rider suffered spinal injuries. The other became lodged under Edwards' car "that continued to drive, dragging (the rider) and his motorcycle into the intersection. Eventually the Challenger backed up, and then fled the scene."
That victim suffered broken ribs and a fractured pelvis.
Police spotted Edwards near 7600 S. Redwood but she did not pull over, the charges state. At 7000 S. Redwood, an officer used his patrol car's public address system to verbally order Edwards to pull over.
"Edwards had slow, slurred and deliberate speech, had poor balance, had a wide range of emotions and outbursts. Edwards seemed very disoriented about where she was, claiming she stayed at the scene of the accident," the charges state. "Edwards made comments that the motorcycle crashed into her and it was their fault so that is why Edwards left. When informed about the two motorcyclists she collided with, Edwards laughed, claiming she did not do it on purpose."
Her blood-alcohol level was measured at 0.20%, or four times the legal limit, according to the charges.
