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SALT LAKE CITY — A motorist was arrested Wednesday after police say he hit a pedestrian in Salt Lake City and drove away, leaving her in extremely critical condition.
Ahn Duy Pham, 26, was booked into the Salt Lake County Jail on Wednesday for investigation of aggravated assault resulting in serious injury and failing to remain at a serious accident.
About 5:40 a.m. Monday, Salt Lake police say a driver ran a red light at 600 W. North Temple and hit a woman, resulting in life-threatening injuries. The vehicle continued without stopping.
"Witnesses on scene had reported that the vehicle appeared to speed up prior to the intersection and the light was clearly red prior to the collision," according to a police booking affidavit.
At the scene of the crash, detectives found debris from the vehicle, including a grill with a Toyota emblem, a piece of a broken mirror and white plastic trim with a part number, the affidavit states. An internet search for the trim piece came back to the front bumper of a 1997-1999 Toyota Avalon.
"Multiple videos were obtained from the area that recorded the white Toyota Avalon's travel prior to the incident. In the video the vehicle is observed traveling northbound on 600 West before driving through the roundabout at 200 North and traveling southbound on 600 West. In the videos the vehicle is observed slowing down and straddling the bike lane as he is approaching North Temple," according to the affidavit.
This continues until two pedestrians enter a crosswalk at North Temple. At that point, police say the Toyota appears in videos to speed up.
"At no point is the Toyota observed braking as it approaches the pedestrians in the crosswalk. The Toyota strikes one of the pedestrians as if he was targeting them and continues southbound," the affidavit alleges.
Investigators were also able to obtain a photo the next day of Pham's vehicle which "showed the grill missing from the vehicle along with additional damage," the arrest report says. The car was located by police Wednesday, parked at Liberty Park with Pham inside.
"When asked about the damage to his vehicle and showing images of his vehicle undamaged days prior to the collision, Anh (said) that his vehicle had always been like that. When Anh was asked about striking a pedestrian with his vehicle again, he stated it wasn't him or that he does not remember," according to the affidavit.
