This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2017, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
A Layton man has been sentenced to jail time and probation for running a red light and causing a fatal crash last year while driving with a measurable amount of drugs in his system.
Zachery Alan Ericksen, 24, was charged in 2nd District Court with third-degree felony causing serious bodily injury or death while operating a vehicle with a measurable amount of a controlled substance in the body for the July death of 56-year-old Kathleen Purcell, of Layton.
Ericksen pleaded guilty in December to class A misdemeanor negligent homicide and class B misdemeanor driving with a measurable amount of a controlled substance.
He admitted in a plea document to having smoked marijuana a few days prior to the crash, but added: "I was not impaired at the time of the accident."
Ericksen crashed into Purcell's vehicle after running a red light in Layton at Fairfield Road and Antelope Drive just after 7 a.m. on July 20, Layton police have said.
Purcell was taken in critical condition to a hospital, where she died the next day.
A blood sample from Ericksen showed he had THC — the active component of marijuana — in his system, charging documents state.
As part of a two-year probation, Erickson must serve 60 day in jail, pay a $1,479.70 fine, $741 in restitution and perform 120 days of community service by speaking to youth and other groups about the hazards of drug and alcohol use.