Man charged with six counts of attempted murder for ‘targeting’ female pedestrians with his car

SALT LAKE CITY — A man has been charged with 10 felonies after targeting and hitting women pedestrians with his car, court documents state.

According to the Salt Lake County District Attorney Sim Gill, Anh Duy Pham has been charged with six first-degree felony charges for attempted murder, four third-degree felony charges for failure to stop at a serious injury accident, and two class A misdemeanors for failure to stop at an accident with injuries.

Pham has been in four “targeted auto-pedestrian crashes over a period of seven months,” according to the district attorney’s office.

“These were allegedly predatory targetings shrouded in the shadow of accidents.  These charges were able to be filed because of great police work done by the Salt Lake City Police Department and Sandy City Police Department in coordination with prosecutors from our office. Using technology, these agencies and our office were able to connect the cases together,” Gill said.

“We continue to investigate other similar matters and encourage anyone with information to contact their local law enforcement. All persons accused of wrongdoing are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.”

Court documents describe multiple crashes where it appeared Pham targeted these pedestrians.

On Aug. 22, 2023, two witnesses observed a white vehicle pull next to a woman in Sandy at 1000 West, 500 South. Witnesses said the woman began to run away when the vehicle sped up and hit herhit-and-run, causing her to fly over the car and land on the ground. Then the car sped off.

The woman told police the driver had asked her to get into the car multiple times. She refused and began to walk away when she was hit, receiving minor injuries. Witnesses were able to give the license plate number to police who found it belonged to a white Toyota Avalon registered to Phan.

On Feb. 24, witnesses told police that Jocelyn Peirce and her 16-year-old daughter Madalyn Peirce were hit while walking on 1700 East near 11490 South. When officers reviewed home security footage, they found a white Toyota Avalon driving down the street three times before hitting the mother and daughter.

On the third drive, the car was driving slowly down the bicycle lane. License plate reader cameras confirmed Pham’s car was in the area nine minutes after the crash. Jocelyn Peirce and her daughter suffered multiple injuries including a temporal bone fracture, blunt force trauma, scalp laceration, and back injuries.

Police: Man suspected of ‘targeting’ pedestrian during life-threatening hit-and-run crash

On Feb. 28, police responded to a hit-and-run on Douglas Avenue and Laird Avenue in Salt Lake City. Martha Knudsen and Janette Brummett said they were walking near the intersection when a white sedan hit them from behind. A review of home security footage in the area showed the same white Toyota Avalon, registered to Pham, in the area at the time of the crash.

Knudsen suffered a concussion, lacerations to her head, and fractured front teeth which will require oral surgery to fix. Brummett lost consciousness at the scene and suffered a brain bleed, a concussion, a hand fracture, and lacerations to her head and scalp.

Sugar House hit and run victims speak out

On March 11, a woman was hit and injured at 600 West North Temple in Salt Lake City.  Two women were walking eastbound in the crosswalk when their crossing light turned green. One woman said she observed a white car driving south fast on 600 West when she heard the car hit the woman behind her.

The first woman turned to see the car driving away. Witnesses told police that the white sedan had approached the women at a slow speed as the two were walking on 600 West, which “creeped them out.” Witnesses also told police the light was red for the white car when it picked up speed and intentionally drove in the direction of the two women crossing the street.

Security footage from the area shows a white Toyota Avalon driving northbound on 600 West before turning around to head southbound. The footage shows the two women waiting for the light while the Toyota slowly drives up the bicycle lane and then as the two women enter the crosswalk, the Toyota picks up speed and crashes into the second woman.

Woman injured in SLC hit-and-run crash; police say driver ran red light

Video also shows that the Toyota does not brake at all before hitting the woman. The woman who was hit had to be intubated and suffered a left femur fracture, a left tibia fracture, a brain bleed, a skull fracture, and multiple pelvic fractures. She remains in the ICU unit at a local hospital.

Investigators found the bumper of the Toyota belonging to Pham at the scene of the collision and confirmed his car was driving through areas nearby close to the time of the crash.

On March 13, officers found Pham’s white Toyota Avalon at Liberty Park with Pham inside. When interviewed about the crash, Pham first told police that he “may have lent the vehicle to one of his friends” before later stating, “Yeah, it’s mine. I don’t let anyone drive.”

Pham’s family confirmed to police that the Toyota belonged to him and that he is the only individual who drives the vehicle.