Woman arrested following Mother’s Day collision in Washington County

Washington County Sheriffs pursued a suspected counterfeiter along State Route 7 Wednesday afternoon, St. George, Utah, May 24, 2023 | stock photo by St. George News

ST. GEORGE — A woman was arrested on several counts, including one felony charge, after colliding with an all-terrain vehicle last Sunday.

A Washington County Sheriff’s Office vehicle awaits a rescue helicopter near Bloomington in this file photo for illustrative purposes only, Utah on April 4, 2023 | Photo by Haven Scott, St. George News

On Mother’s Day at approximately 3:45 p.m., the Washington County Sheriff’s Office responded to a collision on Cottonwood Springs Road involving a silver Toyota 4Runner and an ATV.

When the arresting officer arrived, responders were loading a man into an Intermountain Life Flight helicopter for transport to St. George Regional Hospital, according to the probable cause statement.

The southbound Toyota was in the left lane. The driver, later identified as Raven Lenay Norton, was reportedly attempting to maintain distance from a drop-off on the road’s right side.

Washington County Sheriff Sgt. Lucas Alfred told St. George News that this put the vehicle in the way of an oncoming ATV, which was navigating a blind corner while traveling from the opposite direction.

Norton swerved to the left and hit an embankment, causing the 4Runner to tip over and hit the ATV before landing back on its wheels, Alfred said. During the impact, the Toyota’s male passenger was ejected — the extent of his injuries is unknown, he said. The ATV’s occupants reportedly sustained minimal injuries.

The passenger was reportedly sitting on the car door window with his body outside and his feet inside before the crash, the arresting officer wrote in the statement.

The Fifth Judicial Courthouse in St. George, Utah, Jan. 12, 2021 | Photo by David Dudley, St. George News

Police say they detected the “odor of an alcoholic beverage emitting” from Norton and noted that her pupils were a “pinpoint” despite cloud coverage.

Norton reportedly refused to consent to a field sobriety or a Breathalyzer test when asked and was arrested for suspected DUI. Because the 27-year-old also said she had back pain from a previous injury sustained while taking prescription medication, the officer said she was placed in two pairs of handcuffs, ensuring they were “double locked and properly fit.”

Norton was transported to St. George Regional Hospital, where she received medical clearance before being taken to the Purgatory Correctional Facility, according to the statement. The officer read Norton the driver’s license division right to hearing twice and she declined a blood draw both times. Judge Keith Barnes later approved the blood draw, and Norton complied.

This file photo shows Judge Eric Ludlow of the 5th District Court, St. George, Utah, July 31, 2017 | Photo courtesy of the Utah court pool, St. George News

Norton was booked on several charges, including a third-degree felony count of DUI, causing serious bodily injury, and an infraction for driving with a passenger in an unlawful position.

She was previously charged with a misdemeanor DUI in March 2020. She is scheduled to appear before Judge Eric A. Ludlow on July 10.

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, 2023, all rights reserved.

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