Driver with denied license arrested in fatal hit-and-run crash

SOUTH SALT LAKE — A 53-year-old man was arrested over the weekend in connection with a fatal hit-and-run crash involving a pedestrian.

James Shama Pulale was booked into the Salt Lake County Jail early Saturday for investigation of leaving the scene of an accident involving death, obstruction of justice and driving on a denied license.

On Friday, about 10:10 p.m., emergency crews were called to a report of a man "lying in the middle of the road unconscious" at 3265 S. 900 West. "This accident took place directly in front of South Salt Lake Fire Department Station 42. Paramedics declared the victim deceased," according to a police booking affidavit.

No additional information has been released about the vicitm.

Investigators also found broken pieces of a black mirror and glass nearby. The mirror was determined to be from a 2014 to 2020 Toyota Sienna, the affidavit states.

The victim was also found near the Salt Lake County Sheriff's Office building. Police reviewed surveillance video from recorded by the sheriff's office and observed "a black van traveling southbound on 900 West in the number one lane. The recording shows a dark figure in the headlights of the van. That figure disappears, and the van stops. The van then makes a U-turn to go northbound on 900 West, where he makes another U-turn to go back south on 900 West, circling the area where the figure had been seen on the video. The van then continued southbound without stopping until reaching 3300 South," officers wrote in their affidavit.

Police searched the area west of the crash and found a 2017 Toyota Sienna parked under a carport at 3352 S. River Village Lane.

"I saw recent damage to the front left bumper. The driver rearview mirror was missing. This matched the mirror found at the accident scene," the affidavit states.

A records check showed Pulale was the registered owner of the vehicle, police stated. Investigators also discovered that Pulale's license "is currently showing as denied for a medical requirement."

Officers knocked on the door and talked to Pulale, who admitted to being in an accident, according to the affidavit. He was then asked to go to the South Salt Lake police station to answer more questions.

"During and before transport, James made the following excited utterances: 'Is that guy OK?' and 'I didn't even see him, he ran across the road,'" the affidavit states.

"James admitted to hitting a man on 900 West with his Toyota van. James further admitted to not stopping or rendering aid, parking the vehicle in his carport, and wiping evidence off of the hood."

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