WASHINGTON CITY, Utah — A man has been charged with hitting and killing a pedestrian in southern Utah last week and fleeing the scene.
Police said the victim, a male whose name or age have not been released, was hit Thursday night around 9:45 p.m. in Washington City (located just northeast of St. George). Despite lifesaving efforts from bystanders and first responders, the victim died at the scene. Witnesses said there was no suspect when they arrived in the area and found the victim in the road.
According to court documents, investigators obtained surveillance footage from nearby businesses. Based on the videos, it appeared the suspect in the deadly hit-and-run was driving an SUV. A witness also told police that a smaller red SUV — possibly a Toyota RAV-4 — ran a red light at a high rate of speed just a couple of blocks from the crash site.
Then on Saturday, police received a tip from a caller who said 20-year-old Joe Emanuel Hernandez was in the St. George area for work, and he had hit someone while driving but drove away without stopping.
Investigators learned that just one day before the hit-and-run, Hernandez was cited for speeding in St. George, and the citation said he was driving a red RAV-4.
Police went to Hernandez's residence in West Valley City, where they saw him park his RAV-4 in the backyard. Investigators also contacted Hernandez's insurance provider, who told them he made a claim and said he hit a deer. However, he had not yet provided photos of the damage.
In addition, Hernandez's employer told police that he went home early on Friday, saying he needed to take care of some legal matters.
Utah Highway Patrol officers were able to fly over Hernandez's house in West Valley, where they took photos from the air that showed damage to the front of the SUV that matched evidence found at the crime scene.
On Tuesday, Hernandez was charged with:
- Failure to remain at an accident involving death (3rd-degree felony)
- False or fraudulent insurance claim (3rd-degree felony)
- Negligent homicide (Class-A misdemeanor)
- Driving on a denied license (Class-C misdemeanor)
A warrant was issued for his arrest, but court documents do not state that he's been arrested as of Tuesday evening.
