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Recovering at her Tooele home on Sunday evening after being run over by a car driven by a drunken driver, Allysa Mills had one thing to say to the man accused of hitting her and driving away.
"I want him to see what he's done to me," said the 14-year-old, who suffered lacerations on the back of her head and spent an agonizing three hours at the hospital having rocks removed from her back and arm after she was struck by a car late Saturday evening and thrown violently to the pavement.
"I want him to see that what he did has consequences," she said, referring to her bandaged body.
Mills was walking home with a friend at about 11:30 p.m. Saturday near 1000 North and 310 East in Tooele when a Mitsubishi Mirage came up behind her, swerved and ran into her, said Tooele Police Sgt. Robert Benson.
The girl's body flew into the car's windshield and was propelled more than 30 feet before landing in dirt on the side of the road, Benson said.
The car sped away, but another motorist called police and reported the vehicle for driving erratically. Police caught up with the man, a 33-year-old from Tooele, in a nearby neighborhood driveway, Benson said. His car had a smashed windshield and other dents that were consistent with how the girl's body struck the car, Benson said.
Police said the man's blood alcohol level registered at .233 -- almost three times the legal limit of .08. He was unable to communicate with officers about where he'd been earlier in the evening, Benson said.
Mills' mother, Rochelle Christley, said she's dumbfounded the man drove away without helping her daughter.
"I'm angry that he just left her. I'm angry he was driving three times over the limit. I just want to make sure some justice gets served so he doesn't do this to anyone else," Christley said.
Christley said her daughter has walked a short stretch near 1000 North from a friend's house back home several times. She'd called her daughter shortly before the accident, asking if she needed a ride home. But Mills and her friend didn't want to bother anyone for a ride and instead decided to walk to Mills' home, Christley said.
Mills was transported to Mountain West Medical Center where she was kept overnight on Saturday for observation. Now, Mills' family is hoping she heals from her injuries in time to celebrate her mom's graduation from the University of Utah College of Pharmacy on Friday.
"She's going to be black and blue all over for a while, but she's O.K.," Christley said. "I'm relieved to be home with her."
The man was booked into the Tooele County jail on suspicion of driving while intoxicated, leaving the scene of an accident and driving without a driver license, Benson said.
The Tooele County Attorney's Office will screen charges in the case in coming days, he said.
Posted By Utah Pedestrian and DUI Injury Attorney, Dustin Lance
http://www.sltrib.com/news/ci_12286099
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