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- Jose Guadalupe Salazar, 34, faces charges for a fatal hit-and-run.
- Salazar allegedly hit Alan Blackburn, 62, in Salt Lake City Dec. 2.
- Salazar has a history of traffic violations and outstanding arrest warrants.
SALT LAKE CITY — An unlicensed driver accused of hitting and killing a pedestrian in a crosswalk in Salt Lake City and then driving off is now facing criminal charges.
Jose Guadalupe Salazar, 34, was charged Thursday in 3rd District Court with leaving the scene of an accident involving death, a third-degree felony; and driving on a suspended license, operating a vehicle without registration and operating a vehicle without insurance, class C misdemeanors.
On Dec. 2, Alan Blackburn, 62, was crossing Redwood Road at North Temple in a crosswalk — but against the light — when he was hit by an SUV and killed.
Using license plate reader devices in the area, detectives tracked down the registered owner of the SUV, according to charging documents. The owner, however, told investigators that he had recently sold the vehicle but did not remove the license plates prior to selling it.
A subsequent records check showed police had pulled the vehicle over on Nov. 14 and the driver at that time was Salazar, the charges state.
"At the time, officers had noted that Salazar appeared to be living out of the vehicle and obtained his cellphone number. Detectives confirmed that Salazar had a suspended license and that the (vehicle) did not have valid insurance or a valid registration at the time of the accident," according to the charges.
Detectives then served a warrant for Salazar's cellphone data and discovered he was in the area of the accident that night, and that he shut off his phone a few days after the incident, the charges allege.
Police also discovered that Salazar had warrants out for his arrest — one for failing to appear in court on misdemeanor drug possession and driving on a suspended license charges and one for failing to appear in court in a second case that includes charges of possession of a firearm by a restricted person, and misdemeanor drug possession.
Prosecutors say Salazar has been convicted of driving on a suspended license and having no insurance or registration in Taylorsville Justice Court, West Valley Justice Court and West Jordan Justice Court, and entered into a plea in abeyance in Heber Justice Court.
"Within the last 10 years, the defendant has been cited 17 times for traffic violations and convicted of 16 of those traffic violations, evincing an unwillingness to be compliant with the law," charging documents state. "(Salazar) showed through his own actions that he is not willing to assist police in their investigations, or summon aid, by fleeing the scene of the accident."
Prosecutors have requested that a judge issue a no-bail warrant for Salazar's arrest.
