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ksl.com - Midvale police spokesman resigns following DUI crash
HOLLADAY -- Late Halloween night a car crashed into three parked cars in Holladay. It turns out the vehicle was an unmarked police car driven by the spokesman for the Midvale City Police Department John Salazar. On Tuesday, Salazar resigned.
The accident happened early Sunday morning along 3020 East near 4700 South.
Megan Short heard the crashing sound and ran out to find Salazar, who had been driving a black Dodge Charger, talking on his cell phone and apologizing that he had "hit the curb."
"My car had been sideswiped," Short said. "[The neighbor's] truck had been hit, rear-ended, and pushed across the lawn and into the driveway and hit [another] neighbor's car."
The impact was enough to break the axle on the pickup truck and badly damage the front end of the Dodge Charger.
Short said, "The whole hood of the car was pretty much gone. Both airbags deployed. The windshield cracked. I was concerned when I first came out. I asked if anyone was hurt because I didn't think anyone could get out of the car."
Short said she knew the driver had been drinking. She said, "We could smell it. It was without question, from smelling it on him and seeing him."
Short observed a woman leaving the car on foot before officers arrived. Investigators were able to identify her.
Lt. Don Hutson of the Salt Lake County Sheriff's Office said, "We have identified that person and determined that, yes, she probably was a passenger in the vehicle at the time of the incident, and we are in the process of interviewing her at this time."
John Salazar Midvale police were first to the scene, followed by Salt Lake County sheriff's deputies. Short said the Midvale officers told her they were responding to a call from a neighbor.
Short was surprised when she learned from deputies the driver was an officer.
"We were actually making a few jokes about the fact he was wearing a ‘Cops' shirt," she said. "We thought, well this is not a good night to be wearing that when you're going to be dealing with the police for drinking and driving."
Hutson said, "We believe alcohol was involved. That particular person was cited. We contacted Midvale City and let them know one of their vehicles had been involved in an incident."
Hutson said Salazar was expected to be charged with driving under the influence of alcohol.
Hutson added, "Anytime you have an alcohol-related accident, you're always concerned first if anyone was injured, and then there's some pretty significant penalties with driving under the influence here in the state of Utah."
"It does make me frustrated to know that an officer would knowingly, whether he was off or on duty, go out and drink and actually drive after that," said Short.
Tuesday afternoon, Midvale City Attorney Craig Hall held a press conference to say Sgt. John Salazar had resigned.
Hall said, "The officer involved has tended his resignation, thus terminating his employment with the city of Midvale ... Anytime a municipality loses a very valued and important employee, there is remorse on both sides."
Hall said the city will pay to repair the damaged vehicles.
Hall called the entire incident a tragedy and said Salazar had been on the force thirteen or fourteen years. Hall called Salazar competent, capable and an exemplary employee.
The case is still under investigation.
Calls to John Salazar's cell phone were not returned.
HOLLADAY -- Late Halloween night a car crashed into three parked cars in Holladay. It turns out the vehicle was an unmarked police car driven by the spokesman for the Midvale City Police Department John Salazar. On Tuesday, Salazar resigned.
The accident happened early Sunday morning along 3020 East near 4700 South.
Megan Short heard the crashing sound and ran out to find Salazar, who had been driving a black Dodge Charger, talking on his cell phone and apologizing that he had "hit the curb."
"My car had been sideswiped," Short said. "[The neighbor's] truck had been hit, rear-ended, and pushed across the lawn and into the driveway and hit [another] neighbor's car."
The impact was enough to break the axle on the pickup truck and badly damage the front end of the Dodge Charger.
Short said, "The whole hood of the car was pretty much gone. Both airbags deployed. The windshield cracked. I was concerned when I first came out. I asked if anyone was hurt because I didn't think anyone could get out of the car."
Short said she knew the driver had been drinking. She said, "We could smell it. It was without question, from smelling it on him and seeing him."
Short observed a woman leaving the car on foot before officers arrived. Investigators were able to identify her.
Lt. Don Hutson of the Salt Lake County Sheriff's Office said, "We have identified that person and determined that, yes, she probably was a passenger in the vehicle at the time of the incident, and we are in the process of interviewing her at this time."
John Salazar Midvale police were first to the scene, followed by Salt Lake County sheriff's deputies. Short said the Midvale officers told her they were responding to a call from a neighbor.
Short was surprised when she learned from deputies the driver was an officer.
"We were actually making a few jokes about the fact he was wearing a ‘Cops' shirt," she said. "We thought, well this is not a good night to be wearing that when you're going to be dealing with the police for drinking and driving."
Hutson said, "We believe alcohol was involved. That particular person was cited. We contacted Midvale City and let them know one of their vehicles had been involved in an incident."
Hutson said Salazar was expected to be charged with driving under the influence of alcohol.
Hutson added, "Anytime you have an alcohol-related accident, you're always concerned first if anyone was injured, and then there's some pretty significant penalties with driving under the influence here in the state of Utah."
"It does make me frustrated to know that an officer would knowingly, whether he was off or on duty, go out and drink and actually drive after that," said Short.
Tuesday afternoon, Midvale City Attorney Craig Hall held a press conference to say Sgt. John Salazar had resigned.
Hall said, "The officer involved has tended his resignation, thus terminating his employment with the city of Midvale ... Anytime a municipality loses a very valued and important employee, there is remorse on both sides."
Hall said the city will pay to repair the damaged vehicles.
Hall called the entire incident a tragedy and said Salazar had been on the force thirteen or fourteen years. Hall called Salazar competent, capable and an exemplary employee.
The case is still under investigation.
Calls to John Salazar's cell phone were not returned.
