Arrest is made in auto-ped death

An Ogden man has been arrested in connection with an auto-pedestrian accident that killed an elderly woman crossing Harrison Boulevard.

Aaron Derrick Summerill, 25, was booked into the Weber County Jail late Wednesday in connection with the death of 78-year-old Mary Deats, who was killed while attempting to cross the busy road. Ogden police said the elderly woman was attempting to cross the road late at night on July 22 when she was hit by Summerill's car.

"He didn't intend to kill," Ogden Police Lt. Scott Sangberg told the Deseret News on Thursday. "He was just going too fast and he was under the influence."

Investigators said after the crash, Summerill left the scene but later came back. Toxicology reports recently completed revealed he was under the influence of cocaine and alcohol, police said.

"From all the testing, the officers concluded that he was doing about 71 when he hit her," Sangberg said.

Deats was crossing near 1400 Harrison Blvd., a busy four lane with a posted 50 mph speed limit. She was not in a crosswalk, which was just north of her at a traffic signal, police said. Investigators said in July that the car had tried to avoid her.

Summerill was booked into jail on investigation of third-degree felony automobile homicide and reckless driving, a class B misdemeanor. Jail records show he was later released after posting about $5,500 in bail.

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E-mail: bwinslow@desnews.com