Salt Lake City Council member arrested on suspicion of drunk driving after collision

The Utah Highway Patrol arrested District 7 Representative Amy Fowler in Utah County after an accident in Salt Lake County.

The Utah Highway Patrol arrested Salt Lake City Councilman Amy Fowler this week in Springville on suspicion of driving under the influence after she left the scene of the accident in Salt Lake County, police records show.

“MS. Fowler was involved in a traffic accident earlier this week and is grateful no one was injured,” Fowler’s attorneys, Skye Lazaro and Paul C. Burke, said in a statement on Friday. “We are aware that a subpoena was issued for drunk driving. She intends to address the citation in due course.”

Fowler, who was escalating questions to her attorneys, was arrested just before 11 a.m. Wednesday and booked in the Utah County Jail at 1:20 p.m., records show. She was released on $680 bail about an hour later and is facing a case of DUI in Springville Justice Court.

In a separate statement Friday morning, the Salt Lake City City Council office also confirmed a “traffic incident” involving the council member.

“The Salt Lake City Council is aware of a traffic accident involving Councilman Amy Fowler on May 3 in Salt Lake County,” the council office said. “This matter is being pursued outside of Salt Lake City’s jurisdiction and we are committed to remaining transparent as more relevant information becomes available.”

UHP Sgt. Cameron Roden said Fowler was involved in an accident in Salt Lake County and did not stop to share information. He said the soldiers reached Fowler by phone. She then pulled over and awaited law enforcement in Springville.

“She was in her vehicle with the engine running,” one police officer wrote in a report. “I could smell the odor of an alcoholic drink from the driver’s face and breath. Her eyes were red and bloodshot and she was very emotional.”

Fowler told the officer that she was hit by another car but didn’t stop because she didn’t believe the other driver had stopped.

“She had reduced fine motor skills,” the officer wrote. “She couldn’t use her fingertips to hand me documents; She used her whole hand to pick up and hand over papers.”

Fowler initially denied drinking alcohol and refused to conduct on-site sobriety tests before eventually agreeing to a test. According to the report, she took a breathalyzer test, which showed a score of 0.111. Utah’s legal limit is 0.05.

Mayor Erin Mendenhall’s spokesman, Andrew Wittenberg, also released a brief statement on Friday.

“Until the justice system and city council have an opportunity to reach conclusions on this matter,” he said, “the mayor’s office has no comment other than to say we are grateful that everyone involved in this incident is safe.” .”

Fowler was re-elected to a four-year term in District 7, which includes Sugar House, in 2021. She runs her own law practice, Fowler Law.