Child Killed in Drunk Driving Incident in Uintah County, Utah

A tragic incident occurred in Ballard, Uintah County, Utah, resulting in the death of a child due to a drunk driving incident. The Uintah County Sheriff’s Office reported that Monie Rose Manning-Miller, 34, was arrested for negligently operating a vehicle, resulting in death, a second-degree felony, and open container/drinking alcohol in a vehicle, a class C misdemeanor.

On Saturday, September 2, officers responded to a “vehicle versus person crash” near 2000 South in Ballard. According to witnesses, a vehicle struck a juvenile who was riding a bike. The juvenile suffered a severe head injury, and immediate life-saving measures were performed by individuals at the scene. The juvenile was then transported to the Uintah Basin Medical Center by ambulance.

Eyewitnesses stated that the juvenile and another bicyclist were traveling northbound in the southbound lane when a car traveling southbound collided with the juvenile. The bicyclist reported seeing the juvenile being thrown into the air above the car before falling to the ground.

Upon questioning, Manning-Miller, the driver of the car, claimed that she attempted to avoid hitting the bicyclists but was unsuccessful. Evidence indicated that the juvenile struck the passenger side of Manning-Miller’s vehicle, including the bumper, hood, and top corner of the passenger side windshield.

During the investigation, officers discovered an open liquor bottle on the back seat and open beer cans on the back passenger floorboard of Manning-Miller’s vehicle. They also detected a strong odor of alcohol on her breath. Field sobriety tests were conducted, leading officers to believe that Manning-Miller was under the influence of alcohol.

While Manning-Miller was being booked into the Uintah County Jail, officers received notification from Primary Children’s that the juvenile was expected to pass away. Sadly, the juvenile succumbed to their injuries at 11:25 p.m.