Susan Hunt pleads guilty to January DUI, when she struck Utah Highway Patrol trooper’s car

Susan Hunt has pleaded guilty to a DUI in connection with crashing her car into a Utah Highway Patrol cruiser in January.

Hunt, 53, pleaded guilty Tuesday in 3rd District Court to a class C misdemeanor of having an open container in her vehicle on the highway in addition to the DUI, a class B misdemeanor.

She was charged with reckless endangerment, a class A misdemeanor, and infractions for disorderly conduct and driving on the wrong side of the highway, but those charges were dismissed as part of a plea deal.

Judge Robert Adkins on Tuesday suspended 180 days of jail time for the DUI and 90 days of jail time for the open container, and he sentenced her to one year of probation, which includes 48 hours of community service and a $600 fine. A review hearing is scheduled for March 7.

After colliding with the UHP cruiser the night of Jan. 26 in Tooele County, Hunt refused to get out of her car, an incident report said, adding that she told the trooper he was "evil" and that she wished his children would die.

The trooper smelled alcohol and saw a case of beer and an open beer can on the passenger side floor, the report said.

Dashcam video from the trooper's vehicle documented the crash.

Hunt became a semipublic figure after Saratoga Springs police killed her son Darrien Hunt in 2014.

Darrien Hunt was 22 when police shot him in a parking lot. A 911 caller had reported seeing a man carrying a sword.

The next year, Susan Hunt settled a criminal case with a diversion agreement after an alleged altercation with a Saratoga Springs officer in October 2014. The agreement called for charges to be dismissed if Hunt followed certain conditions during a six-month diversion period, including obeying all laws and completing grief counseling.

mnoble@sltrib.com

Twitter: @mnoblenews