31-year-old being held without bail on DUI, other charges after crashing car in Cedar City, police say

Stock photo by Alex Star/iStock/Getty Images Plus, St. George News

CEDAR CITY — A Vernal man who police said crashed the Camaro he was driving in Cedar City on Thanksgiving Day is facing multiple charges in connection with the incident, and despite his desire to return to Northern Utah, a 5th District judge made the decision Monday to hold him without bail.

Randolph Reed, 31, is accused of driving the car recklessly and at high speeds at the southern end of Main Street, near the Interstate 15 Exit 57 interchange, at around 9:30 a.m. on Nov. 25.

At some point, the Camaro’s driver lost control of the car, which struck a sign and then ran into the back of another vehicle, according to a probable cause statement filed by Cedar City Police in support of Reed’s arrest.

The charging documents indicate that a passenger in the other vehicle was injured in the collision, along with two other men who were passengers inside the Camaro.

Although Reed reportedly denied he had been driving the Camaro, witnesses told police they’d seen him exit the vehicle from the driver’s seat.

Police officers also reportedly found multiple open containers of alcohol inside of the car.

“Once Randolph got out of the vehicle, he tried walking away from the crash but people stopped him,” the probable cause statement says, adding that Reed smelled “very strongly” of alcohol and displayed signs of impairment, including slurred speech and glassy eyes. 

“He was very lethargic and appeared highly intoxicated,” the statement added.

During their subsequent search of the Camaro, police officers reportedly found a backpack with two Glock pistols inside, which Reed’s two passengers said belonged to Reed.

Reed was subsequently arrested and booked into Iron County Jail on suspicion of several charges, including possession of a dangerous weapon by a restricted person, a second-degree felony; failure to remain at an accident scene and DUI with personal injury, both class A misdemeanors; reckless driving, a class B misdemeanor; and driving on a denied license, driving without insurance and having an open container of alcohol in a vehicle, all class C misdemeanors.

Iron County Jail, Cedar City, Utah, Nov. 24, 2021 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News / Cedar City News

Utah court records show Reed has an extensive criminal history that spans nearly a decade, including multiple felony convictions.

During a court appearance made via videoconference on Monday, Reed’s attorney requested that his client be allowed to post bail, with Reed stating he wanted to get back to his job in the Vernal area. However, prosecutors argued that he posed a risk to the community and asked that he continue to be held without bail. Judge Matthew L. Bell concurred. 

“I don’t think it’s going to happen, Mr. Reed, not under these circumstances,” Bell said as he denied bail, citing the serious nature of the allegations and the fact that Reed is already on parole.

Bell scheduled Reed’s preliminary hearing for Monday at 2 p.m.

Ed. Note: A new Utah law generally prohibits the release of arrest booking photos until after a conviction is obtained. 

This report is based on statements from court documents and law enforcement officials and may not contain the full scope of findings. Persons arrested or charged are presumed innocent until found guilty in a court of law or as otherwise decided by a trier-of-fact.

Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2021, all rights reserved.

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