A Utah man is in jail on suspicion of homicide after he allegedly stole a truck, drank several beer and then hit a woman’s car — ultimately killing her — as he ran a red light Wednesday morning in South Jordan.
Edilberto Lopez-Ramirez, 23, was driving the stolen GMC K3500 east on Mountain View Highway when he drove through a red light about 10:40 a.m. at Lake Avenue (11400 South), hitting a northbound Dodge Caravan, according to a news release from South Jordan police.
The Caravan’s driver, Pearl Iata, 38, was pinned in the car and died. Lopez-Ramirez crawled out of the truck and was taken to the hospital.
Police learned the pickup truck Lopez-Ramirez was driving had been reported stolen from a job site in Herriman about an hour before the fatal crash. The truck was involved in a hit-and-run just before it ran the red light, police said.
Lopez-Ramirez later told police he’d stolen the pickup and drunk beers — about three or four 12 oz. beers and three 32 oz. beers — before the hit-and-run and running the red light, according to his probable cause statement.
He was booked into Salt Lake County jail on suspicion of automobile homicide, DUI, hit-and-run, reckless driving and having an invalid driver’s license.
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