This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2016, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
A 26-year-old man was charged Wednesday with automobile homicide in the Nov. 20 death of a woman in Orem.
The man, Ricardo Oswaldo Estrada, of Midway, was driving north in a southbound lane on University Avenue about 1:50 a.m. when his Jeep crashed head-on with a sedan driven by Maria Rodriguez, 54, at about 800 North, near the mouth of Provo Canyon, witnesses told police.
Rodriguez's car caught on fire "immediately after the collision," charging documents state, and paramedics who found her unresponsive without a pulse pronounced her dead at the scene.
In addition to the homicide charge, which is a second-degree felony, Estrada was charged in 4th District Court with driving on a denied license, a class C misdemeanor, and driving on the wrong side of a roadway, an infraction.
After the crash, paramedics took Estrada to Utah Valley Regional Medical Center by ambulance. Police and medical personnel reported that Estrada smelled of alcohol and had slurred speech. He was confused, charges state, and didn't know what city he was in.
He also allegedly admitted to drinking alcohol before getting in his car to drive home.
Due to Estrada's injuries, charges say, he was not given field sobriety tests, but toxicology results are pending from a blood draw.
In 2011, Estrada pleaded guilty to driving with a measurable controlled substance, a class B misdemeanor, and driving on a denied license, a class C misdemeanor. His sentence of 60 days in jail was suspended, and he paid more than $1,000 in fines and was ordered to complete 24 hours of community service.
He has a record of several smaller traffic violations.
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