A Single Vehicle Collides Into A Guardrail On US-40 In Uintah County
- Travis Uresk
- Jun 2, 2024
- 3 min read
By Travis Uresk
6/2/24
| Uintah County | May 28th, 2024 |
A witness called 9-1-1, reporting a single-vehicle collision on SR-40. The witness stated that the vehicle hit a guardrail.
The witness stated four individuals exited the vehicle and smelled of alcohol, and one of the females was walking away from the scene while the other three asked the witness for a ride.
When Utah Highway Patrol Trooper Ryan arrived on the scene, he observed a red Ford Expedition on the westbound shoulder of the road. About 200 feet to the East of the vehicle, a tire and part of an axle were next to a damaged portion of the guardrail.
There was a gouge mark in the road from the guardrail to where the vehicle was. The front passenger tire was missing, and the front end had severe damage. The windshield had a huge spiderweb crack. The rear passenger window was down, and the trooper could smell the strong odor of alcohol emitting from the vehicle.
Two males stood on the side of the road in front of the vehicle. One of the males identified himself as 32-year-old Patrick Derk Christensen, based on his Utah driver's license.
At first, Patrick stated the female was driving. Then Trooper Ryan asked where the females were, and he stated they walked away. The trooper could smell the strong odor of an alcoholic beverage emitting from his person when he spoke.
Trooper Ryan spoke with the witness and asked if she saw the accident. She stated she did, and she was two or three cars behind when she saw the vehicle jerk toward the guardrail and then pull off to the side of the road. She said she pulled over to make sure they were okay and saw the heavier-set male, as she pointed at Patrick, exit the driver's seat.
The trooper returned to Patrick and asked him again who was driving. He stated the other female. One of the females was walking towards them, to the East of where the impact was.
Trooper Ryan walked to her and could see her putting her hands up in the air and stumbling towards the highway. She was walking along the white line while traffic was passing her. She turned around and started to walk into the lane of travel. The trooper ran over to her and escorted her to the ambulance. He could smell a strong odor of an alcoholic beverage emitting from her person, and she was slurring her words.
She was screaming about the other female but couldn't remember her name. When asked who was driving the vehicle, she said it was her baby daddy. From prior involvements, Trooper Ryan knew she was in a relationship with Patrick and asked her if Patrick was driving, and she stated yes.
Dispatch advised Patrick's license was valid and that he was an alcohol-restricted driver. Patrick was confronted about being the one driving and asked if he would be willing to complete field sobriety tests.
HGN: I had to remind Patrick multiple times to keep his head still and open his eyes as wide as he could. During this portion, Patrick would stop watching my finger multiple times. During the times he tracked my finger, I observed all six out of six clues. I did not observe vertical gaze nystagmus.
Nine Steps: I observed Patrick could not keep his balance during the instruction stage and started the test too early. During his first nine steps, he missed heel-to-toe on nearly every Step and stepped off the line. After completing the turn, he stopped walking. During his nine return steps, he missed heel-to-toe on every Step. I observed a total of five out of eight clues.
One-Leg Stand: Patrick attempted this test twice. On the first try, he raised his arms more than approximately six inches from his body and placed his foot down around the 13-second mark. He asked if he had to continue, and I stated yes. I told him to try again. On the second attempt, he raised his arms more than approximately six inches from his body, swayed, and placed his foot down.
Patrick Christensen was arrested and taken to the hospital, where he admitted to being the one driving. Patrick was taken to the Uintah County Jail, and was later released.
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