SALT LAKE CITY, Utah, Oct. 3, 2019 (Gephardt Daily) — A Salt Lake City man with a history of traffic offenses was charged Wednesday with hitting a child with a vehicle, then driving away from the scene.
Robert Valdovinos, 25, is charged in 3rd District Court on suspicion of:
- Failure to remain at accident involving injury, a class A misdemeanor
- Alcohol-restricted driver, a class B misdemeanor
- Interlock-restricted driver operating a vehicle without interlocking system, a class B misdemeanor
- No valid license, never obtained license, an infraction
The charges are related to a July 16 accident in which a 6-year-old boy was hit while riding his bicycle across the intersection of Catherine Street and Leadville Avenue, in Salt Lake City.
“(The) suspect returned to the scene, had (the) odor of alcohol from his breath, admitted to leaving the scene because he was scared,” the probable cause statement says.
“(The) driver had no valid license and was an alcohol-restricted driver. Open containers of alcohol were found in the vehicle. (The) driver is required to have an ignition interlock device).”
The car was found at Valdovinos’ residence “with the bicycle still wedged beneath it,” charging documents say.
The 6-year-old was transported to the hospital. Doctors determined the victim suffered injury to the left side of his head and road rash. He required emergency treatment for an occipital fracture, a closed-skull fracture with extra-axial hemorrhage, and mild complicated traumatic brain injury.
The child also had tire marks on his right leg and arm.
