Judge sends Utahn to prison for DUI crash that killed mother, unborn baby in their front yard

WEST JORDAN, Utah — Jack Keith Archibald said the last 307 days he has spent in jail is the longest he has been sober in 30 years.

Archibald, 54, of West Valley City, expressed sorrow Monday during his sentencing hearing, and said he hopes someday to be forgiven by Libbie Allan’s family.

On May 3, Allan had just celebrated her 24th birthday the day before and was playing in her front yard in Salt Lake City with her 2-year-old daughter when Archibald went across the oncoming lanes of traffic on 1700 South, went over the curb and hit both Allan and her child. Police say the vehicle continued driving through a front yard and knocked over a fence.

Archibald remained at the scene for about 90 seconds and then fled to a golf course where he worked, charging documents state. He had a blood-alcohol content of 0.136%. The legal limit in Utah is .05%.

Archibald said he did not know he had hit somebody, and if he did he would not have driven away. He pleaded guilty to two counts of automobile homicide, a second-degree felony — one for Allan’s death and the other for her unborn child — and DUI, a third-degree felony, as part of a plea bargain.

“It is so hard to live with myself knowing all the pain and suffering that I have caused her family, and all the lives that I’ve affected. Libbie has saved my life and gives me inspiration and courage to be a better person. I will carry her around in my heart always, and I will seek out counseling and programs to help me do so,” Archibald said Monday.

Third District Judge Douglas Hogan sentenced him to two concurrent terms of one to 15 years in prison for automobile homicide, but a consecutive term of zero to five years for DUI.

Defense attorney Joshua Snow said his client is humble and remorseful, has not argued to be released or blamed anyone else.

Snow said there are ways to keep the public safe and ensure that a similar incident does not happen again that don’t include sending Archibald to prison, but instead focus on treatment. He cited support from family, friends and employers, many who were at the sentencing.

Deputy Salt Lake County attorney Andres Gonzales said the victims’ family chose not to attend or speak at the sentencing.

He said many members of the family are dealing with trauma because Archibald acted selfishly, and Gonzales argued for a prison sentence. He said one of the most selfish things a person can do is drive while under the influence.

“When you drive drunk, when you kill human beings, prison is the only just and appropriate sentence,” Gonzales said.

Salt Lake County District Attorney Sim Gill thanked the Salt Lake City Police Department and investigators for their work on the case “that helped put Jack Archibald in prison and off our streets,” and applauded the judge for issuing consecutive sentences.

He said his office continues to mourn for the loss of Allan and her unborn child.

“Mr. Archibald put our entire community at risk when he decided to drive after drinking enough alcohol to put him at more than double the legal limit, while also on drugs. … If you drink, drive, and injure people you will be aggressively prosecuted,” Gill said.