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Utah fatal crash (Image: Fox 13 NEWS/Twitter)Uncontrollable defecation blamed by US driver who swerved into bike lane and killed two cyclists
A driver who crashed into two cyclists in Utah, killing both, told police the fatal collision happened after she swerved because she was uncontrollably defecating.
Julie Ann Budge has been arrested and booked into Washington County Jail on two counts of automobile homicide and two counts of driving under the influence with serious bodily injury.
The 47 year old told police she had various medical issues and had swerved into the bike lane after she started uncontrollably defecating, hitting the two brothers from California participating the Spring Tour of St. George event.
Despite witnesses attempting treatment, the riders were unresponsive and died from their injuries in hospital, with the motorist blaming her irritable bowel syndrome for causing the crash.
Photos from the scene show the destroyed bikes of two men who were hit and killed by a passing car Saturday afternoon near St. George.
Story: https://t.co/yJcGNDcu2P pic.twitter.com/ocVZlViLFj
— FOX 13 News Utah (@fox13) April 10, 2022
Arresting documents seen by KUTV show the driver told officers she was on multiple medications and "began to uncontrollably defecate on herself while driving, so she swerved".
Budge was followed by a witness before pulling over several hundred yards from the collision site. The arresting officer wrote that a witness reported "it appeared that Julie did not have the intention of stopping after hitting the two cyclists".
The driver of a Hyundai Genesis reportedly told police she knew she had hit the cyclists but could not get her vehicle to stop.
Arresting documents state that Budge failed sobriety tests conducted at the scene and had been admitted to hospital the previous day, taking Fentanyl through an IV drip.
"At this time, I placed Julie under arrest for suspicion of driving under the influence," the arresting officer recalled. Budge was taken to hospital where a warrant was issued for a blood test.
In addition to the two counts of automobile homocide due to criminal negligence, and two counts of DUI with serious bodily injury, Budge will also face two counts of failure to remain at an accident involving death, and a class B misdemeanour charge of reckless driving and an infraction of improper lane travel.
Dan is the road.cc news editor and joined in 2020 having previously written about nearly every other sport under the sun for the Express, and the weird and wonderful world of non-league football for The Non-League Paper. Dan has been at road.cc for four years and mainly writes news and tech articles as well as the occasional feature. He has hopefully kept you entertained on the live blog too.
Never fast enough to take things on the bike too seriously, when he's not working you'll find him exploring the south of England by two wheels at a leisurely weekend pace, or enjoying his favourite Scottish roads when visiting family. Sometimes he'll even load up the bags and ride up the whole way, he's a bit strange like that.
Latest Comments
- kingleo 27 min 28 sec ago
The students at Cambrige have no problem cycling everywhere.
- stonojnr 1 hour 4 min ago
crazy that his own brief describes it as "his long suffering partner" also how come the two blokes he collected from the snooker club to assist in...
- stonojnr 1 hour 12 min ago
but in cases where you report other cyclists close passes, you literally are the witness to it, not the victim ?...
- S.E. 1 hour 15 min ago
1. It's obviously more aerodynamic, even a small backpack or hydration pack can help, there are studies about this....
- stonojnr 1 hour 20 min ago
theres an attitude I encounter alot locally, and demonstrated in bucket loads by drivers on my commute home tonight, that cyclists shouldnt be on...
- Keesvant 2 hours 40 min ago
If the chains snap that is lack of build quality or material.....
- Hirsute 3 hours 36 min ago
"Wisdom is better than weapons of war, but one sinner destroys much good."
- Jaijai 4 hours 1 min ago
His life was only worth shy of 7 years ,that's too lenient in every book .Let alone drugged up and leaving him to die
- webbierwrex 4 hours 6 min ago
I came here to basically write the same thing, the floating bus stop near me has a very narrow cycling lane between a very narrow pavement and a...
- AS52 4 hours 29 min ago
It wasn't an official consultation meeting - see my comment above.
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15 comments
And here's another US driver who couldn't control himself.
That's brilliant. Good riddance of the wanker.
I think the uncontrollable defecation is coming from her mouth!!
Charged with 'automobile homicide'. Calling a spade a spade, and no mistake. Could do with some of that here.
My take is that it sounds like a"right to drive" excuse. The person claims to have a debilitating condition that means that they are unable to control their vehicle, so that makes it alright to kill people.
Alternatively, it's just a really, really crap excuse.
People come out with the same shit in the UK:
https://www.standard.co.uk/news/crime/tory-peer-lord-trefgarne-hit-with-driving-ban-after-claiming-he-needed-the-toilet-10291305.html
https://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/uk-news/115mph-driver-told-police-speeding-18549141
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/crime/speeding-offence-m1-derbyshire-police-b1894104.html
And yes - I've known someone with IBS, and that's a very embarrassing and unpleasant thing and could very well occur in a car. But even if this was true it doesn't override basic public safety.
Don't forget one of the cases which made the appropriately named Mr Poopholes name where he successfully defended Alex Ferguson for speeding down the hard shoulder because of poop. Suprisingly when pulled over by the Police, Old whisky-nose mentioned nothing and accepted the paperwork at the the time. Also surprisingly, the star-struck Judge decided this was a worthy reason for breaking driving laws.
Assuming she's telling the truth, why swerve rather than just slow down and stop?
Instantly pulling over but happened to be a cycle lane on the side. Although she failed several substance tests and had a DUI from before so her decisions would not have been a "normal" persons. She couldn't even stop her car for several hundred feet until she realised a witness was following her.
"Photos from the scene show the destroyed bikes of two men who were hit and killed by a passing car....."
Interesting reporting from Fox13, which I assume is some media company. In the UK it would have been something like "Two cyclists died in collision with car."
I'm not sure "I continued to drive despite having a known medical condition that affects my ability to drive" is as good an excuse as she thinks it is.
That was my first thought too. If this is true, then she should have her licence to drive withdrawn, the same way as someone who is known to have - say - epilepsy, as she clearly cannot safely drive. Ever.
Another reason for good cycle infra - if it's safe for children and pensioners it should be safe (or safer) for people not able to drive for many other reasons. Safer for others if they lose control of their bike rather than their car.
Much easier to change someone's habits if you've a carrot as well as a stick.
Awwww, bless her, she had to go poo poo, I think we need to show a little understanding and tolerance. It must have been terribly inconvenient and embarrassing for the woman.