LOGAN — A 44-year-old Smithfield man was arrested after striking a pedestrian in a Logan parking lot while allegedly driving under the influence, according to law enforcement. Chad Hurren Saunders was arrested Saturday night.
According to an affidavit of probable cause, Logan City Police officers arrived at the scene after receiving reports of an auto-pedestrian crash and transported the victim to the hospital in an ambulance. The victim was later flown to a trauma center, where medical staff said she was in critical condition with serious head trauma.
Medical staff advised police that the pedestrian suffered critical injuries and she is not likely to survive. Her identity was not released, pending notification of family.
Logan police identified the driver as Saunders and let him leave the scene without conducting field sobriety tests. Officers later called him and he agreed to a blood draw.
An officer said he “immediately detected the heavy odor of alcohol on his breath” when Saunders arrived at the police station.
The officer wrote in the probable cause statement that Saunders “spontaneously admitted to drinking heavily last night, and again drinking in the morning. Chad’s emotions were sporadic, and he asked repetitive questions throughout my encounter with him.”
According to jail records, Saunders was booked on suspicion of negligently operating a vehicle causing serious bodily injury, a third-degree felony. Formal charges are pending the completion of officer’s investigation.
Individuals arrested and charged in complaints are presumed innocent unless or until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in court.