1 man jailed, 2 charged in crashes that resulted in injuries and deaths

ROY — Three separate cases involving motorists accused of causing tragic accidents that left victims either dead or injured were addressed in the legal system Friday. One man was sent to jail, and two others were charged in court.

Richard Bash, 40, was booked into the Weber County Jail early Friday for investigation of felony DUI, automobile homicide, leaving the scene of a fatal accident and driving on a revoked license. He is facing charges in the death of Wendy Kerbs, 54, who was killed while she planted flowers in her front yard near 3100 West and 5800 South.

Police said it appears Bash tried to pass a car when he lost control and flipped his sport utility vehicle.

"He admits to driving real fast, coming up on a car he thought was going too slow, swerving around it and losing control," Roy Police Capt. Jack Bell told the Deseret News on Friday.

After his SUV smashed into Kerbs and landed next to a pine tree, police said Bash got out and ran before being found unconscious in a field. He spent two days in the hospital. In an interview with detectives, Bell said, Bash claimed he fled because his license had been revoked for prior DUIs. Police also were not ruling out reports that Bash had been suicidal recently.

"That's a possibility," Bell said.

Meanwhile, Salt Lake County prosecutors filed charges in another auto-pedestrian crash involving a group of Kearns Junior High School students. A dozen third-degree felony aggravated assault charges were filed Friday against Luka Wall Kang, 50, in the May 6 crash near 4015 W. 5600 South.

According to a probable-cause statement filed with the charges, a group of students was walking home when a vehicle made a sharp turn off the road and drove up onto the sidewalk.

Police said the vehicle, driven by Kang, hit two students and continued on, aiming for others. Some students dived out of the way, while others were hit.

"On the south side of the intersection, the vehicle corrected direction to avoid striking a fence," Mike Anderson wrote in an affidavit. "At this point, the vehicle struck (Tomas Perez). T.P. was struck from behind and was spun around and thrown onto the hood of the vehicle. T.P. held on to the hood as the vehicle continued to drive southbound, and the vehicle drove back up onto the sidewalk. T.P. was looking at the driver and screaming."

Witnesses claimed the vehicle's brake lights never came on and that the vehicle never slowed down and never stopped until it hit a retaining wall near the sidewalk.

Kang remains in the Salt Lake County Jail. He faces up to five years in prison on each count, if convicted.

Also Friday, charges were filed in 3rd District Court against Chad Moyes in connection with the death of a passenger who was killed while riding with him.

On Nov. 11, 2008, Moyes had been drinking when he told Carlos Contreras that he was going to take him for a ride and show him the "power of Corvette," according to court records.

Moyes was driving near 1300 West and 12000 South when he crashed into the back of a semitrailer and his car burst into flames. Contreras was killed. Moyes was speeding at what he estimated was "double the limit" at the time of the crash, according to court records.

A blood-draw later at a hospital showed Moyes' blood-alcohol content was 0.10, which is above the 0.08 legal limit, court records state.

Contributing: Pat Reavy

E-mail: bwinslow@desnews.com