WASHINGTON, Utah, July 1, 2023 (Gephardt Daily) — A 47-year-old man has been booked into jail in connection with a Friday night accident that killed a 7-year-old boy and left three other people injured in the southern Utah city of Washington.
Tracy Sandoval has been charged with five felonies in the case.
Washington City Police officials were called to the scene at 100 East and 200 South, at 5:35 p.m. Friday. They learned their had been a three-vehicle crash, and only two vehicles had remained at the scene.
“The complainant reported it to be a T-bone accident. Upon arrival I observed a blue passenger vehicle facing north,” say charging documents filed in Sandoval’s arrest. A Washington City Police news release says the white car was a Volkswagen Jetta.
“I observed a white passenger vehicle facing west. The blue passenger vehicle had T-boned the driver’s side of the white vehicle.” The blue car was a Ford Focus.
The victims on scene included a 44-year-old man, a 17-year-old girl, a 19-year-old woman and a 7-year-old boy.
“The juvenile male was unconscious upon arrival and had a faint pulse,” the affidavit says. “Officers on scene began life saving measures on the male. Upon further investigation, I found a third vehicle was also involved but had left the scene.”
Witnesses told officers a white SUV traveling east on 200 south “had blown through the stop sign” and T-boned a white passenger vehicle, causing the passenger vehicle to spin and collide with a blue vehicle, hitting the driver’s side of the white vehicle.
The white SUV then left the scene, leaving behind its license plate, which belonged to a 2012 white Ford Expedition registered to Sandoval.
The arrest
Officers searching the area located the SUV, which had heavy front-end damage, and detained the only occupant.
“The male was identified as Tracy Sandoval by his Utah driver license number.
“As I was speaking with Tracy I detected a strong and distinct odor of alcohol coming from his breath. I observed his eyes were bloodshot and glossy. I observed his balance was poor and unstable.”
Sandoval was transported to the Washington City Police Department, where he agreed to take a Standard Field Sobriety Test, which he failed.
Sandoval’s blood alcohol came back at 0.148, nearly three times the legal of 0.05 for driving under the influence.
“Officer’s were advised the 7-year-old juvenile male passed away from his injuries,” Sandoval’s charging documents say. “Medical called his time of death at 1832 hours.
“I was notified the 19-year-old female sustained a compound fracture in her back from the accident. The 17-year-old female sustained injuries to her right hip, ribs and chest area. The 44-year-old male sustained a head injury but refused treatment at the hospital.”
Post Miranda, Sandoval said he was traveling east on 200 South when he “grabbed his phone to text his wife.
“Tracy stated the phone slipped from his hands as he was texting. Tracy stated he bent down to pick it up then looked up right before he hit the white passenger vehicle. Tracy stated he was aware he ran the stop sign and was aware he caused the accident.
“Tracy stated he was nervous and left the scene without stopping to check on the others involved. Tracy also admitted to drinking alcohol today. Tracy stated when he got home he started to feel bad and decided to drive back to the accident.”
After medical clearance, Sandoval was booked into the Purgatory Correctional Facility on suspicion of:
- Negligently operating a vehicle resulting in death, a second-degree felony
- Automobile homicide involving a death – negligence, a third-degree felony
- Three counts of negligently operating a vehicle resulting in serious bodily injury, a third-degree felony
- Negligently operating a vehicle resulting in injury, a class A misdemeanor
- Failure to comply with accident duties – unattended property damage, a class C misdemeanor
- Operating a vehicle without insurance, a class C misdemeanor
Sandoval was ordered to be held without bail.
