Estimated read time: 2-3 minutes
- Brandon Palma, 29, was arrested for allegedly hiting and injuring two UTA workers with his vehicle in Murray.
- Palma allegedly fled after the crash but later surrendered; workers sustained severe injuries.
- He faces potential charges of fleeing, driving without insurance, and expired registration.
MURRAY — The suspected driver of a vehicle that struck a Utah Transit Authority vehicle in Murray and seriously injured two workers has been booked into jail on suspicion of fleeing the scene of an accident.
Brandon Palma, 29, was arrested by Murray police on Thursday. Earlier that day, about 1:30 a.m., he allegedly struck a UTA maintenance truck on 5900 South in Murray and two workers who had been outside the vehicle, seriously injuring them.
Palma exited his vehicle after the crash and "checked on the two injured and then fled east on 5900 South," according to a police booking affidavit. He turned himself in to authorities Thursday afternoon and was being held in the Salt Lake County jail as of Friday.
One of the injured workers had to have a leg amputated and also suffered a broken arm and internal injuries, the affidavit says. The other worker broke a finger, tibia, fibula and sternum bones and suffered a head injury.
The two injured workers were outside a UTA rail service truck on the rail line near 5900 South, west of 350 West. They had been changing the vehicle's operational mode from track to street mode when an eastbound car hit the truck, which was facing north on the south side of 5900 South, and the workers.
Authorities connected Palma with the address of a nearby apartment, locating the man's girlfriend and mother. They asked the women to let police know if they had contact with Palma, who later reached out to authorities before surrendering.
"He asked about the people that he crashed into and asked about their medical status. He said that he was a laborer for the road and that the same thing could have happened to him, which is why he wanted to surrender and turn himself in. He said that he has a history of fleeing from the police and it's just what he does," the affidavit states.
Authorities brought Palma to a hospital for evaluation before transporting him to jail.
Palma was also arrested for investigation of operating a vehicle without insurance, driving on a denied license, and driving with expired registration.
