The man who allegedly killed a new bride when he drove his car head-on into hers is facing half a dozen criminal charges, including automobile homicide.
According to the Utah Highway Patrol, on Aug. 7 Manaure Gonzalez-Rea of Salt Lake City was driving a Toyota Tacoma southbound in the northbound lanes of Interstate 15 when he collided head-on with a Toyota Corolla driven by Angelica Jimenez, 26, at 2264 South. The Tacoma flipped onto its roof, and Angelica Jimenez, — who was married just five hours before the crash — died at the scene.
(Utah Highway Patrol) This car was demolished in a head-on collision on Interstate 15.
A passerby told police he pulled Gonzalez-Rea from the wreckage and placed him on the bed of his truck — and that Gonzalez-Rea then stole his truck. He was apprehended a short time later at the Redwood Road off-ramp on Interstate 80.
According to the arresting officer, Gonzalez-Rea had droopy eyelids, his speech was slow and slurred, his movements were slow, he had poor balance and there was an “overwhelming odor” of alcohol on his breath. The UHP trooper wrote that Gonzalez-Rea admitted he drank three beers right before the crash. The results of a blood alcohol test are pending.
Gonzalez-Rea has been charged in 3rd District Court with auto homicide and theft, second-degree felonies; failure to stop at a serious injury accident, a third-degree felony; two counts of driving under the influence, class A misdemeanors; and reckless driving, a class B misdemeanor. He is being held without bail in the Salt Lake County jail
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