HURRICANE, Utah, Jan. 10, 2023 (Gephardt Daily) — A Washington City woman has been booked into jail after she allegedly caused a multi-vehicle collision that claimed the life of a pickup truck driver.
The accident happened on July 1, 2022, on state Route 9 near 3900 West in Hurricane.
Arrest documents, filed Tuesday by an officer of the Utah Highway Patrol, say Melissa Miner, 40, was driving west in a Hyundai Sonata and approached an eastbound Toyota pickup followed by a Mazda SUV.
“The crash investigation showed that the Hyundai Sonata traveled outside its lane, crossed the center lane, and struck the Toyota pickup head-on,” Miner’s probable cause statement says.
“The Mazda then collided with the two vehicles in a secondary collision. The initial collision occurred in the eastbound travel lane. The collision resulted in the death of D. Cruz,” who was driving the pickup, the statement says.
Miner and several others were transported to an area hospital.
“I learned that Ms. Miner was in surgery for her injuries, so she was not interviewed at that time,” the affidavit says. “I learned that medical personnel had located a white baggy of crystal substance in her clothing, but that the substance had been disposed of prior to my arrival.
“During medical treatment, the ambulance personnel located a white crystalline substance in Ms. Miner’s bra. In a later interview, Ms. Miner admitted this substance was methamphetamines. Ms. Miner told me she is addicted to methamphetamine and heroin.”
Miner was on pretrial release at the time of the accident, and “had at least three controlled substance cases pending. I also learned that Ms. Miner had several active warrants for her arrest.”
Her urine tested positive for amphetamine and methamphetamine, the statement says.
A witness told troopers Miner had been driving erratically before the collision, and appeared to have an electronic device — he believed a cellphone — in her lap.
Miner was booked Monday on suspicion of:
- Negligently operating a vehicle resulting in death, a second-degree felony
- Possession of a controlled substance schedule I/II/analog, a class A misdemeanor
- Use or possession of drug paraphernalia, a class B misdemeanor
- Driving under the influence, first offense in 10 years, a class B misdemeanor
Miner was ordered held without bail.
