RICHFIELD, Utah, Sept. 15, 2021 (Gephardt Daily) — A woman has been arrested after she allegedly intentionally caused a fatal head-on crash in Richfield.
A probable cause statement from the 6th District Court of Sevier County said Lesia Ann Allred, 53, is facing charges of:
- Murder, a first-degree felony
- Aggravated assault, a third-degree felony
- Operate a vehicle without license or registration, a class C misdemeanor
- Failure to wear a seat belt, an infraction
On May 27 at approximately 7:28 p.m., the Utah Highway Patrol was notified of a vehicle collision near 300 N. 100 East in Richfield. Richfield City PD requested assistance investigating the collision. A silver 2010 Chevrolet Tahoe, driven by Allred, traveling eastbound, crossed through the left hand turn lane and into oncoming traffic where it collided head-on with a silver 2012 Chevrolet Malibu.
“At the time of the crash, Lesia’s operator license was suspended for no insurance and she was not wearing a seat belt,” the statement said. “As a result of the crash, the passenger in the Chevrolet Malibu died of their injuries. The driver of the Malibu sustained broken bones in their leg and pelvis.”
UHP and the State Bureau of Investigation conducted further investigation. A trooper from the UHP’s Major Crash Investigation team downloaded the air bag module data from the Chevrolet Tahoe.
“A preliminary analysis showed that the Tahoe was at full acceleration at the time of the collision, consistent with a deliberate action,” the statement said. “A search warrant for Lesia’s medical records from the Sevier Valley Hospital and Utah Valley Hospital was obtained. SBI received the documentation of the time Lesia was at both hospitals post-crash. Lesia told Utah Valley Hospital staff that she was suicidal and had plans to carry out her suicide within the last month prior to the crash.”
Video evidence of the collision was obtained from security cameras. “The video shows the Tahoe make a controlled right-hand turn onto 300 North from Main Street,” the statement said. “The vehicle then appears to make another deliberate left turn into oncoming traffic and accelerate, directly targeting the Chevrolet Malibu, consistent with the preliminary airbag module report.”
Allred has two active protective orders against her. After being released from the hospital, she violated one of the protective orders and showed up at the house of one of the protected parties. “Because of her homeless status, she roams from shelter to shelter, and whatever residence that will allow her to stay,” the statement said. “In the last several months she has resided at shelters and residences in Richfield, St. George, and Cedar City. Lesia does not have a cell phone and does not have a job. Lesia constitutes a safety risk to both herself, the subjects of the protective orders, and the community. Lesia also constitutes a likely flight risk with no reliable way of tracking her down if released.”
The suspect was arrested Wednesday and transported to Sevier County Jail, with her bail set at $500,000.
