SALT LAKE CITY, Utah, Oct. 3, 2020 (Gephardt Daily) — A Salt Lake City woman is facing a charge of second-degree felony manslaughter in a fatal crash last month on North Temple Street.
According to a probable cause statement filed in 3rd District Court in Salt Lake City, on Sept. 24, Claudia Vanessa Gutierrez Thompson, 41, drove her Nissan Maxima at a high rate of speed eastbound on North Temple and failed to stop for a red light at the intersection with West Temple Street.
She continued traveling “well above the posted speed limit” and failed to stop or yield for the red light at North Temple and State Street, where the Nissan collided with a Honda Civic driven by “KB,” the document states.
“KB,” later identified as Kaden Baxter, 20, was pronounced deceased at the scene.
Utah Transit Authority surveillance cameras captured the Nissan speeding and failing to stop for the red lights.
The impact pushed the Honda Civic to the east on 2nd Avenue and halfway down the block before it came to a stop, the document states.
Gutierrez Thompson was transported to a local hospital for treatment.
According to the probable cause affidavit, Gutierrez Thompson admitted to the arresting officer that she had been drinking alcohol and had taken several valium tablets before driving the vehicle involved in the fatal collision.
She also was driving with a California driver’s license that had expired in 2014, the document says.
The statement says Gutierrez Thompson was driving between 83 and 86 miles per hour seconds before the collision, and that at impact with the Honda her speed was 75.8 mph. The posted speed on North Temple is 30 mph.
Gutierrez Thompson admitted to the investigating detective that she drank about 20 ounces of absinth and took 20 Valium tablets prior to driving, the document states.
Gutierrez Thompson was booked into Salt Lake County Jail on Sept. 24. No hearing date has yet been scheduled.
Gephardt Daily will update this story as more information becomes known.
