St. George woman charged with automobile homicide after crash kills 1 child, injures another

Cadillac Escalade is found severely damaged off the shoulder of Interstate 70 following a crash that kills a 12-year-old child Richfield, Utah, Jan. 9, 2021 | Photo courtesy of the Utah Highway Patrol, St. George News

ST. GEORGE — A St. George woman has been charged with criminal homicide following a crash on Interstate 70 early Sunday morning that killed a 12-year-old child and left a younger child fighting for her life at Primary Children’s Hospital.

Semitractor-trailer is severely damaged in two-vehicle crash with a wrong-way driver in a Cadillac on westbound Interstate 70 in Richfield, Utah, Jan. 9, 2021 | Photo courtesy of the Utah Highway Patrol, St. George News

Shortly after 2:10 a.m. on Sunday, Utah Highway Patrol troopers were notified of a head-on fatal crash on westbound I-70 near mile marker 36 in Richfield involving a Cadillac Escalade and a semitractor-trailer, according to a statement released by the Utah Department of Public Safety. The notification of the crash came just shortly after a report of a wrong-way driver in the area.

Troopers arrived to find the Cadillac on the right shoulder of the interstate, with the driver still inside of the SUV. The two passengers, ages 12 and 9, were both ejected during the collision.

The 12-year-old girl was found dead lying next to the driver’s side tire of the SUV, while the 9-year-old child was found critically injured 30 yards west of the vehicle. She was transported to Sevier Valley Hospital and then flown to Primary Children’s Hospital in critical condition, according to charging documents filed with the court.

The report also states the driver, later identified as 33-year-old Cami Jean Aparicio and mother of the two ejected children, suffered minor injuries and was found to be “extremely” intoxicated at the scene. Inside of the Cadillac, troopers also found an open box of an alcoholic beverage.

Troopers spoke to the commercial driving team in the semi, who said they swerved to avoid colliding with the wrong-way vehicle, and when the truck was inspected, authorities found the truck sustained damage consistent with being sideswiped, the report states.

The extensive damage to the Cadillac appeared to have come from a violent impact with the trailer of the semi, which nearly ripped the rear axles from the trailer and left the truck disabled.

Authorities say at the time of the crash, the Cadillac traveling east in the westbound lane of I-70 struck the front right side of the semi and then slid down the side of the vehicle, dislodging the rear axles of the trailer as it did so. The SUV was then thrown off the right shoulder of the interstate.

The report also states that both children traveling in the Cadillac were restrained when the incident occurred; however, the force of the impact pulled both girls from their seat belts as they were being ejected from the vehicle.

While being treated by emergency medical personnel at the scene, troopers noted the driver of the Cadillac had slurred speech and smelled strongly of alcohol, the report states.

Intermountain Healthcare’s Primary Children’s Hospital in Salt Lake City, Utah | Photo courtesy of Intermountain Healthcare, St. George News

At the hospital, troopers spoke to Aparicio who said she was heading to Ogden from her home in St. George, and when asked, she reportedly told troopers she could not remember if she had been drinking. Court records indicate the suspect is a resident of St. George.

Troopers also asked the suspect why she was found in Richfield when she said she was on her way to Ogden, and she responded by saying she could not remember. The report also states the suspect admitted to a prior DUI arrest, which authorities confirmed and noted she was a restricted driver at the time of the crash on Sunday.

The trooper also noted the suspect’s speech continued to be slurred throughout the interview.

The suspect was arrested and booked into the Sevier County Jail.

On Tuesday, the Sevier County Attorney’s Office filed formal charges against Aparicio that include second-degree felony automobile homicide-criminal negligence – DUI, as well as two third-degree felony counts of driving under the influence and one count of child abuse-inflict serious physical injury recklessly. She was also charged with two counts of reckless endangerment and the alcohol restricted driver charge, each a misdemeanor.

The extensive investigation by the Utah Highway Patrol is still ongoing.

This report is based on statements from court records, police or other responders and may not contain the full scope of findings. Persons arrested or charged are presumed innocent until found guilty in a court of law or as otherwise decided by a trier-of-fact.

Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2022, all rights reserved.

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