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A Layton man charged with manslaughter for allegedly running over a small child with his truck had vision problems and an invalid driver's license at the time of the incident, according to recently filed court documents.
Aaron Joe Burlison, 25, was charged Friday in 2nd District Court with manslaughter, a second-degree felony punishable by up to 15 years in prison. He was also charged with a misdemeanor count of possession or use of a controlled substance, which the charges specified as marijuana.
Burlison is accused of hitting 18-month-old Lexie Smith while driving his Toyota Frontier in a South Ogden apartment complex parking lot on July 27, according to an arrest warrant affidavit filed on Monday. The child was standing in front of the Falls Apartment Complex main office when Burlison allegedly drove towards her, according to the affidavit.
The girl ran away from the truck, but was struck by Burlison's vehicle as he turned left in an attempt to park in a handicap stall, police allege.
The driver's side bumper hit the girl, according to court records, and knocked her over.
"Burlison continued to drive and ran over the child with the driver side front tire," a South Ogden police detective wrote. "Burlison then stopped."
The girl was taken to a local hospital, where she later died from her injuries.
When police arrived, an officer noticed Burlison sitting on a curb and distraught. Burlison allegedly told the officer that he saw the girl "running near the bushes" and didn't see her when he attempted to park his car.
Burlison later told police officers that "he wasn't supposed to be driving" because his license was invalid due to medical reasons. Officers discovered a number of medical conditions that made it unsafe for him to drive, including a closed left eye due to a failed cornea transplant, glaucoma in both eyes and neuropathy in his legs, knees and feet. He also has Type 1 diabetes "and has problems regulating his blood sugar," police wrote in the arrest affidavit.
Burlison's blood was drawn after the incident, and police say toxicology reports indicated that he had THC, the chemical found in marijuana, present.
The defendant is scheduled to make his first court appearance on Thursday.