Man taking family camping near Utah Lake hit and killed; driver criminally charged

ELBERTA, Utah — A man who police say was intoxicated when he hit and killed a pedestrian on a dirt road in a popular area for off-roading and camping near Utah Lake, and then drove off, is facing criminal charges.

Andreu Pizarro, 26, of Sandy, was charged Monday in 4th District Court with negligently operating a vehicle resulting in death, a second-degree felony; leaving the scene of an accident involving death, a third-degree felony; and DUI, a class B misdemeanor.

On Friday, a truck going about 50 mph on Chimney Rock Pass hit Kurt Lewis Provost, 59, of Santaquin, “flipping him over the top of the truck,” and then drove off, according to charging documents.

About 20 minutes later, Pizarro called police to turn himself in. When questioned, Pizarro said he and his mother “were off-roading. They came upon a truck and trailer partially blocking the road. (Pizarro’s) mother stated that (he) was driving too fast to stop and tried to go around the truck and trailer. She stated that someone got out of the truck, and was struck by the defendant’s truck,” the charges state.

A police booking affidavit further states that “while taking Andreu Pizarro into custody, he had a spontaneous utterance stating ‘I thought he was going to shoot me.'”

Police say they noticed the smell of alcohol on Pizarro’s breath and that he had slurred speech. Toxicology test results were pending as of Monday.

Other witnesses also contacted police.

“These witnesses described seeing the vehicle Andreu Pizarro was operating driving recklessly. The witnesses estimated Andreu Pizarro’s vehicle going approximately 70 mph on a dirt road. Witnesses also stated Andreu Pizarro’s vehicle was spinning doughnuts and driving in a manner where several people became concerned for the safety of others on the road. It was clear through witness testimony that Andreu Pizarro’s vehicle was operating in a manner that was unsafe and reckless,” according to the affidavit.

“The number of witnesses who took note of the excessive speed and reckless driving pattern of the suspect vehicle show it was operated without a reasonable degree of care for circumstances on the roadway, showing negligence. Pizarro did not immediately stop at the accident as required by law, but was found about 12 miles away after he called dispatch. Given that he left the roadway and impacted a person (which) caused damage to his vehicle, Pizarro should have had reason to believe he was involved in a collision,” the affidavit continued.

Police say Provost was driving to find a campsite when he was hit and that his wife and two young grandchildren were in his car at the time, according to the affidavit.

“Another family member was driving behind the victim’s vehicle. The family member reported seeing the suspect vehicle pass them going the opposite direction very quickly. It returned a few minutes later and passed them on the left side of the road at an estimated 40-60 mph. Both the family member and the victim were towing travel trailers, and as such, were only traveling about 15 mph on the dirt road,” the affidavit states.

According to his obituary, Provost was a man who “loved the outdoors.”

“His favorite pastimes were camping, boating, 4-wheeling, and hunting with his family and friends. After marrying his beloved wife Susan Hickman in 1987, they continued to go on many adventures adding three children and six grandchildren along the way. His grandchildren inherited his love of camping and would always ask when they were going again. He was making plans for retirement and wanted to travel in his 5th wheel across the states exploring each along the way,” the obituary stated.