A 53-year-old West Valley City man was charged Wednesday in the death of a 24-year-old pregnant woman, whom he allegedly struck with his car on a Salt Lake City sidewalk, along with her 2-year old daughter.
On May 3, Jack Archibald is accused of veering across two lanes of traffic on 1700 South before his vehicle mounted the sidewalk and struck Libbie Allan and her daughter. Allan was 17 weeks pregnant, and was pronounced dead at a local hospital, according to police documents.
Her 2-year-old daughter was critically wounded in the wreck, and as of Wednesday afternoon, police did not have an update on the child’s condition.
Police said crash data indicated Archibald exited the vehicle after impact, but drove away 90 seconds later. Video investigators obtained from a nearby residence showed Archibald saying “I’m gonna try and drive out to the street,” while Allan’s husband yelled for someone to call 911.
Archibald later parked at the Forest Dale Golf Course to smoke a cigarette, charging documents state. Construction workers nearby called 911 when they noticed the suspicious condition of his vehicle.
While responding officers inspected the truck, Archibald allegedly hid in a nearby shed that stored golf carts, documents state. He then exited the shed and told officers he knew they were here for the crash, and they arrested him.
Archibald admitted to officers that he had experienced a “blackout” while driving, and came to after the crash when the car came to a stop. Archibald told officers he fled the scene because he was scared for police to arrive.
He told police he drank a six pack of beer and used marijuana the night before, and he had a cocktail that morning before driving. Police administered a breathalyzer test; at that time, approximately three hours after the crash, Archibald had a blood alcohol level of 0.136%.
In Utah, it is illegal to drive with a blood alcohol level of 0.05% or higher.
Archibald faces two counts of automobile homicide and one count each of driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, failure to stop at a serious crash, leaving the scene of a fatal crash, failure to operate a vehicle on the right side of the roadway, and driving on the sidewalk.
He is currently being held at the Salt Lake County Jail.
