LOGAN — A 44-year-old Smithfield man is now facing a charge of homicide after allegedly hitting a pedestrian in a Logan parking lot while drunk Saturday night. The victim sustained critical injuries and later passed away.
According to court records, Chad Hurren Saunders was arraigned Monday in Logan’s 1st District Court. He was charged with automobile homicide, a second-degree felony, after initially being charged with negligently operating a vehicle resulting in injury, but the charge was amended after the victim passed away.
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.
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.”
Saunders’ father confirmed that Saunders did not consume any additional alcohol after leaving the scene. Officers believed Saunders was a flight risk because he is from Oregon and was planning to move out of Utah. He was arrested and booked into the Cache County Jail without bail.
Saunders is scheduled to appear again in court August 25. He could face up to 15 years in prison, if convicted.
Individuals arrested and charged in complaints are presumed innocent unless or until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in court.