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- Drug, DUI and hit-and-run charges against Beckie Lynn Adams were dismissed due to evidentiary issues.
- The arresting officer did not give Miranda warnings and was unavailable to testify.
- The victim's family was disappointed but understood the case dismissal reasons, the district attorney said.
SALT LAKE CITY — A judge has dismissed charges against a woman accused of leaving the scene of an accident after hitting and killing a woman sitting in a West Valley street in 2020.
The case was dismissed because the police officer who arrested Beckie Lynn Adams did not give her Miranda warnings and was unavailable to testify at her trial after starting a job in another country, Salt Lake County District Attorney Sim Gill said in a statement.
"The evidentiary issues made it impossible to prosecute the case that resulted in the tragic loss of life," Gill said.
Evidence in the case was "rightfully suppressed," the district attorney said, meaning it could not be used at the jury trial, and there was no way to prosecute the case without the statements the woman had made to the officer.
"The family of the victim was disappointed with the dismissal but understood why," Gill said.
Shantel Sponsler, 23, was sitting in the road at 1251 W. 3300 South on May 22, 2020, when she was hit by a Dodge pickup truck. Charging documents said the driver began to pull over but then drove off.
The driver was soon stopped in Murray and allegedly told the police officer she was involved in an accident. At first, she said she had hit a dog or mannequin, but charges said while the officer was transporting her to the hospital for a blood draw she said, "I knew I hit a person. I should have stopped."
Adams, 28, of Taylorsville was scheduled for a three-day jury trial beginning on Wednesday before prosecutors asked to dismiss the charges on Feb. 24.
She was previously charged with failure to remain at the scene of an accident involving death, a third-degree felony. She was also charged with driving with measurable controlled substances, use or possession of drugs, and use or possession of drug paraphernalia, class B misdemeanors.
The charges were dismissed without prejudice, meaning if additional evidence becomes available prosecutors could file the case again.
