Man charged in wrong-way crash that killed Springville, Moroni teens
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Anneka Wilson and Leo Shepherd are pictured.Charges were filed Monday against a man accused of killing two teens from Springville and Moroni in a wrong-way crash.
Jose Angel Torres Jimenez, 21, of Herriman, was charged in Salt Lake City’s 3rd District Court with two counts of murder, first-degree felonies; DUI — wrong way on highway; and violation of a learner permit after police say he crashed into another vehicle while traveling 120 miles per hour southbound in the Interstate 15 northbound lanes on Nov. 29.
Leo Shephard, 18, of Moroni, and Springville High student Anneka Wilson, 17, died from injuries caused by the crash.
Torres was also charged with forcible sexual abuse, a second-degree felony, and aggravated assault resulting in loss of consciousness from an alleged incident immediately prior to the fatal crash.
Court documents say Utah Highway Patrol dispatch received a call about a wrong-way driver in an Audi at 600 South and I-15 at 1:53 a.m. and was later notified that the Audi had crashed into a Nissan Rogue.
First responders arrived at 1:56 a.m. and found the Nissan fully engulfed in flames, the charging document said. First responders began lifesaving measures on Wilson until EMS arrived, but she succumbed to her injuries. Officers also learned Shephard had been in the vehicle.
Court documents say police conducted a preliminary breath test, or PBT, on Torres, who blew a 0.134, and that a preliminary review of the vehicle’s data confirmed he was traveling 120 miles per hour.
According to charging documents, the collision came after an alleged incident at the DoubleTree Hotel in Salt Lake City.
Charging documents say police responded to an alleged hit-and-run with injuries at the hotel at 1:51 a.m. and found a 17-year-old girl with blood on the side of her face and neck.
Police said that through an investigation, it learned Torres had been staying at the hotel with the girl and her boyfriend and allegedly touched the girl inappropriately, prompting a confrontation between Torres and the boyfriend in the parking garage.
“(The boyfriend) stated that once they reached the parking garage, Torres ran to his vehicle and got in. (The boyfriend) stated that Torres pulled out of the parking spot and accelerated toward him and (the girlfriend), who was standing behind (the boyfriend). (The boyfriend) stated he got out of the way but that (the girlfriend) was hit head-on. (The boyfriend) confirmed that Torres made no attempt to slow down or avoid him and (the girlfriend),” court documents say.
The girlfriend suffered a concussion resulting in memory loss, as well as bruising, scrapes and a laceration to the back of the head, according to the charging document.
Torres is being held without bail at the Salt Lake County Jail.


