A Utah man has been arrested after he ran over and killed his wife in a Salt Lake City airport parking garage while he was under the influence of alcohol, police said.
Shawn Christopher Sturgeon, 38, of Taylorsville, was arrested on Monday after police say he ran over his wife Charlotte, 29, on the second level of the North Parking Plaza at the Salt Lake City International Airport around 2.30pm. Charlotte was transferred to a hospital, where she succumbed to her injuries.
Shawn was booked into the Salt Lake County Metro Jail with no bond on one count of automobile homicide – criminal negligence DUI of alcohol/drug, according to Salt Lake City Police Department.
The pair had just returned from vacation with their child when Shawn hit his wife with their SUV in the garage, leaving her with critical injuries. Moments prior, the dad was seen on surveillance footage, viewed by police, placing his child in the backseat of the vehicle and then getting into the front seat and turning on the car.
Charlotte is reportedly standing by one of the opened back doors when Shawn began to reverse the vehicle.
‘The victim’s legs can be seen flailing about as he continues to reverse, being dragged which causes her to fall to the ground under the vehicle,’ the affidavit, viewed by Deseret News, stated.
Shawn Christopher Sturgeon, 38, of Taylorsville, was arrested on Monday after he ran over and killed his wife Charlotte, 29, in a parking garage (pictured) at a Salt Lake City airport. The pair had just returned from vacation at an unknown destination with their young child
After dragging his wife’s body under the car 10 feet, he got out and placed her in the front seat and drove to the payment booths (pictured) to ask for help. She was transferred to a nearby hospital, where she succumbed to her injuries and he was booked into the Salt Lake County Metro Jail with no bail
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He allegedly backed up roughly 10 feet before stopping and putting his wife into the front passenger seat and driving to get help.
‘Shortly after the crash, Sturgeon drove the vehicle, with his wife critically injured inside, to the airport parking payment booths where he asked for help. Officers with SLCPD’s Airport Division contacted Sturgeon before he exited airport property,’ police said.
Sturgeon hit his wife inside the parking garage (right) and drove to the payment booths (left) to get for help. Police have set up a crime scene at both location to investigate
He reportedly told police that he ‘accidentally ran her over,’ and authorities determined he was under the influence of alcohol as he had an ‘odor coming from his mouth and glassy bloodshot eyes.’
Paramedics were called and attempted to perform life-saving efforts in the parking garage and at the hospital on Charlotte, but she did not survive, police said in the statement.
The couple had just come back from an unknown destination and were heading home when the incident occurred at Salt Lake City International airport
Since Shawn drove from the parking garage to the payment booths, police have set up two crime scenes to collect evidence.
He was arrested under a Utah law that states a person can be brought into custody for an automobile homicide investigation if the driver ‘operates a motor vehicle in a negligent manner causing the death of another” and has a blood-alcohol content above the legal limit of 0.05 percent.’
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