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A drunken driver whose speeding SUV flipped and killed a Roy woman planting flowers in her front yard was sentenced to prison Tuesday for up to 15 years.
Richard Allan Bash, 40, of Roy, had pleaded guilty last month in 2nd District Court to one count of second-degree felony automobile homicide for the death of 54-year-old Wendy Kerbs.
In exchange for Bash's guilty plea, prosecutors dismissed misdemeanor counts of failure to remain at the scene of a fatal accident, driving on a suspended license and driving on alcohol restrictions.
Kerbs was outside gardening at about 4:45 p.m. on May 13, when she was crushed by Bash's vehicle.
Bash was driving under the influence of alcohol and traveling at speeds of about 60 mph on a residential road when he lost control while passing another car near 3100 West and 5800 South, according to police. The SUV uprooted two large pines trees before killing Kerbs.
Bash -- who also had methamphetamine in his system -- ran from the scene but was caught by police. He was taken to a hospital, although he apparently suffered no serious injuries.
About a day before the fatal crash, Weber County sheriff's deputies were searching for Bash because his wife told them he had threatened suicide, police have said.
Bash has an extensive history of traffic violations in the 1980s and '90s, according to court records. He has been convicted of felony joyriding and misdemeanor counts of
Court records show one conviction for alcohol-related reckless driving in 2007. But prosecutor Dee Smith told the Ogden Standard-Examiner that Bash has seven prior convictions for driving under the influence in Utah and two other states.
