Woman dead, child critical after SLC hit-and-run crash; driver arrested
May 3, 2022, 12:19 PM | Updated: May 4, 2022, 2:08 pm
SALT LAKE CITY — A woman has died and a child was transported in critical condition following a hit-and-run crash in the Sugar House area.
Salt Lake City police responded to the crash involving two people near 900 East and 1700 South at 11:26 a.m. Tuesday and asked the public to avoid the area.
According to a release from Salt Lake City police, “Based on the preliminary information, the suspect vehicle was traveling east on 1700 South when it left the roadway and hit the woman and child as they were on the sidewalk.”
Neighbors say they came outside to find an ugly scene.
“I can’t imagine the poor person who was plowed down by it,” said Amy Edwards. “I mean, it’s horrifying.”
Officers and paramedics performed life-saving efforts, however, the woman passed away while being transported to an area hospital.
The release states, “the driver of the involved vehicle did not stop and drove away.”
We are investigating a fatal hit and run traffic crash near 900 East 1700 South. 1700 South is closed between 900 East and 1000 East. Avoid the area if possible. A PIO is on scene. Media staging is in the parking lot of fresh market. #slc #saltlakecity #slcpd pic.twitter.com/LySFfT3cmq
— Salt Lake City Police (@slcpd) May 3, 2022
Officers searched for the suspect and his vehicle and were able to “locate the driver and suspect vehicle nearby and safely took the man into custody.”
UPDATE: Our officers located the driver and suspect vehicle nearby and safely took the man into custody. For more information, read our press release:https://t.co/Xd8NhHaY2d#saltlakecity #slc #utah #ut #slcpd pic.twitter.com/VshjX2ACM9
— Salt Lake City Police (@slcpd) May 3, 2022
According to a press release Tuesday night from the SLCPD, Jack Archibald, 53, of West Valley City, was arrested in connection to the deadly crash.
He is expected to be booked into the Salt Lake County Metro Jail, where he will face several charges, including one count of automobile homicide, two counts of driving under the influence, and two counts of leaving the scene of a crash involving a fatality.
The victim was identified by police Tuesday as 23-year-old Libbie Isabel Allan, but according to the GoFundMe* page, Libbie had just celebrated her 24th birthday the day before. She was also five months pregnant with her second child.
Allan’s daughter, identified in the GoFundMe as 2-year-old Clara, is fighting for her life in critical condition.
UPDATE: SLC Police identify 23-yr-old Libbie Isabel Allan as the person who died in this morning’s hit-and-run crash.
Her daughter remains in critical condition.
They were hit while on the sidewalk
Police arrested Jack Archibald, 53, for automobile homicide and DUI@KSL5TV pic.twitter.com/Ae8QolISYv
— Ladd Egan (@laddegan) May 4, 2022
Additional details were also released about the crash.
The release states, “After the initial crash, Archibald’s vehicle traveled through the front yard of a residence and knocked over a metal fence. Archibald did not stop and continued to drive away from the scene. A short time after the crash, officers conducting an area check located Archibald and the involved vehicle near the Forest Dale Golf Course. Officers found Archibald inside a shed.”
Police said Archibald “smelled very strongly of an alcoholic beverage.”
“It should just never have happened. You should not be driving at a speed where you can cross a lane of traffic, drive through two fences, narrowly miss the front steps of my neighbor’s house, and get back out on the street and continue to drive the car,” Edwards said.
Neighbors say they’ve been worried about the potential for hazard along this road for some time.
“In the 15 years we’ve lived here, I can think of four other accidents just in the block between 10th East and 9th East,” Edwards said.
They’d feared one day, a crash here would prove deadly.
“And to have it happen today is absolutely horrifying,” Edwards said.
This crash marks the 11th traffic-related fatality in Salt Lake City for 2022.
*KSL TV does not assure that the money deposited to the account will be applied for the benefit of the persons named as beneficiaries. If you are considering a deposit to the account, you should consult your own advisors and otherwise proceed at your own risk.
