Man Arrested in Southern Utah Crash That Killed Seven-Year-Old Boy

A tragic accident in Southern Utah has led to the arrest of a man on multiple felony charges. According to court documents, Tracy Sandoval, 47, was taken into custody after a crash that resulted in the death of a seven-year-old boy and left three others injured. The incident occurred near 200 S 100 E in Washington City.

Sandoval's blood alcohol concentration (BAC) was found to be .148, which is .098 above the legal limit in Utah. He now faces several charges including negligently operating a vehicle resulting in death (second-degree felony), three counts of negligently operating a vehicle resulting in serious bodily injury (third-degree felony), automobile homicide involving device negligence (third-degree felony), and negligently operating a vehicle resulting in injury (class A misdemeanor). Additionally, he violated his probation or parole while committing these offenses.

The accident took place on Friday, June 30 at approximately 5:30 p.m. Witnesses reported that Sandoval's white Ford Expedition was traveling east on 200 S when it "blew through a stop sign" and collided with another vehicle. The impact caused the second vehicle to spin around and crash into yet another car.

When officers arrived at the scene, they discovered multiple victims including a 44-year-old individual, a 19-year-old individual, a 17-year-old individual, and tragically, the seven-year-old boy who had suffered critical injuries. Despite their efforts to save him by administering life-saving measures at the scene before rushing him to St. George Medical Center for further treatment, he unfortunately passed away.

During their investigation of the incident area, officers located Sandoval's heavily damaged car nearby. They detained him and determined that he was intoxicated based on his behavior and other evidence gathered at the scene.

According to court documents detailing his statement, Sandoval admitted to using his phone while driving. He reached down to grab it when it slipped through his hands, causing him to momentarily lose control of the vehicle and collide with the other car.

Furthermore, Sandoval confessed that he was aware he had run the stop sign and caused the accident but left the scene out of nervousness. However, he eventually returned after feeling remorseful for his actions.

The arrest of Tracy Sandoval serves as a reminder of the devastating consequences that can result from impaired driving. The loss of a young life in this tragic incident has left a community grieving and seeking justice for those affected by this senseless act.

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