Responding to questions about why the man who ran down and killed a South Salt Lake Police officer on Saturday hadn’t been charged in a fatal car crash he allegedly caused while fleeing from police in March, Utah’s Department of Public Safety released a timeline of its investigation into that encounter.
On March 25, Felix Anthony Calata — who was shot to death by police on Saturday after he struck officer David Romrell with his car — fled from police in a Jeep Cherokee, believed to be stolen, and crashed into a Chevrolet Sonic at the intersection of Bangerter Highway and California Avenue.
Calata and his passenger, Danyelle Jennings, were both ejected from the Jeep; Jennings died at the scene. The driver of the second vehicle was seriously injured.
Eight months later, Calata had not been charged with any crime in connection with that crash; the Department of Public Safety was scheduled to screen charges with the Salt Lake County district attorney’s office on Dec. 6. DPS released a statement attributing that delay to the “thorough job DPS agents and troopers do to provide complete investigations each time.”
This photo provided by the South Salt Lake Police Department shows officer David Romrell. Romrell died Saturday, Nov. 24, 2018 after being struck by a vehicle driven by a fleeing burglary suspect. The suspect was shot and killed by officers at the scene. (South Salt Lake Police Department)
“The length of our investigations [is] dependent on the details and circumstances surrounding each case. In this case, DPS investigators were waiting for multiple reports leading up to their meetings with prosecutors. This included a reconstruction report, which was complex due to the nature of the crash. Later, traffic light sequencing data was requested by prosecutors.”
The DPS' timeline of the investigation follows:
• March 25 — Crash occurs; investigation begins.
• March 26 — State Bureau of Investigation interviews Calata, who is hospitalized.
• March 27 — SBI interviews driver of second car.
• March 28 — SBI processes Jeep for evidence; Utah Highway office processes Chevrolet for reconstruction.
• March 30 — UHP processes Jeep for reconstruction.
• April 9 — SBI submits subpoena for medical records.
• April 17 — SBI receives subpoena for medical records.
• April 28 — SBI receives subpoenaed medical records.
• April 29 — UHP notifies SBI of fatal report completion.
• May 9 — UHP scale diagram completed.
• May 29 — DPS enters case into Prosecutor Information Management System.
• June 7 — DPS schedules screening with Salt Lake County District Attorney’s Office for June 20.
• June 20 — Salt Lake County District Attorney’s Office contacts DPS to cancel screening because of the D.A.’s desire to wait for completed reconstruction.
• June 26 — SBI receives medical examiner’s report.
• Aug. 16 — Calata is arrested by UHP on warrants in a separate incident, unrelated to the March 25 crash. He is held in the Salt Lake County Jail until mid-October.
• Aug. 18 — UHP reconstruction completed.
• Aug. 22 — SBI receives copy of the reconstruction report.
• August-September — SBI and UHP personnel meet to analyze crash investigation/reconstruction.
• Aug. 28 — DPS and Salt Lake County District Attorney’s Office schedule meeting to screen charges for Sept. 12; it’s canceled because of scheduling conflicts.
• Sept. 27 — SBI conducts follow-up interview with second driver.
• Oct. 3 — SBI conducts follow-up interview with Calata in Salt Lake County Jail.
• Oct. 11 — SBI requests/receives jail calls for Calata.
• Oct. 16 — DPS reschedules screening for Oct. 24.
• Oct. 24 — DPS meets with Salt Lake County District Attorney's Office to screen case; prosecutor is assigned to follow up; DPS receives a request for information on traffic light sequencing; SBI contacts UDOT for assistance.
• Nov. 6 — Utah Department of Transportation contacts SBI and schedules meeting for Nov. 14.
• Nov. 14 — SBI meets with UDOT traffic engineer about light sequencing; DPS notifies Salt Lake County District Attorney’s Office of additional data and requests new screening.
• Nov. 16 — Screening is scheduled for Dec. 6.
• Nov. 23 — SBI receives UDOT report explaining traffic light data.
