- Corbin Dallin performed a citizen's arrest after witnessing a man flee the scene of a deadly Provo crash.
- Paseto Penahipa Foalima, also accused of drinking, driving and fleeing from the crash scene, was charged with murder on Thursday.
- Dallin expressed gratitude for safely stopping Foalima, while also expressing condolences for the victim's family.
PROVO — A driver accused of drinking, driving and fleeing from a deadly crash was charged with murder on Thursday, as the man who made a "citizen's arrest" to stop him shared his story for the first time.
Thirty-eight-year-old Paseto Penahipa Foalima was charged Thursday in 4th District Court with depraved indifference murder, a first-degree felony.
He was also charged with assault against an officer and failing to stop for police, second-degree felonies; failing to stop for an accident involving death, a third-degree felony; running from police, a class A misdemeanor; DUI, causing property damage, interfering with police and reckless driving, class B misdemeanors; having an open container of alcohol in his vehicle, a class C misdemeanor; and four infractions.
Provo police said on last Saturday, Foalima first left the scene of a hit-and-run crash involving another car near 500 West and 500 North, then fled from an officer in a church parking lot at 700 North and 100 West, causing the officer to fall in the process.
According to investigators, Foalima then headed toward the intersection of 400 North and 100 West, where they said he crashed into another car after running a stop sign.
Police said 83-year-old Luena Paulson died hours after that final crash.
Once Foalima crashed the second time, detectives said he fled from his own car.
"All of a sudden, we just hear this massive crash, probably lasted like five seconds, which we knew was pretty bad," said Corbin Dallin, who lives nearby. "My girlfriend, who was looking outside, she yelled that the guy was running."
Dallin said he ran out the door, saw the crash that had just happened, and then started running after the man his girlfriend saw fleeing.
"Yeah, there was a lot of adrenaline going on," Dallin said. "My body took over — just wasn't really thinking."
Dallin said he nearly lost the man once, but somebody pointed him in the right direction as Foalima ran east.
He said he then nearly lost sight of the man again as he went around a corner.
"I saw him peek out and kind of start to go and jump over this fence here," Dallin said. "At this point, he was almost over the fence, and (I) jumped up and grabbed him, and yanked him off the fence."
Dallin said the man was shoeless, limping, panting and bleeding from the head, and he didn't put up much resistance before officers showed up moments later.
"Afterwards, (I) just kind of realized it was probably pretty dangerous for me to do that because I didn't really know what was happening," Dallin said.
He said he only later learned that the crash turned fatal.
"My heart goes out to the family involved," Dallin said.
Dallin said he believed he just happened to be in the right place, at the right time, and he was grateful he was able to do what he could.
"If he had gotten over (that fence) or had gotten away, then, you know, maybe something else happens," Dallin said. "I'm willing to kind of jump in and do that instead of somebody else getting hurt."
