SALT LAKE CITY — A Salt Lake man with a history of driving while impaired is now facing charges accusing him of causing a fatal crash.
Colby William Bia, 24, was charged Monday in 3rd District Court with multiple offenses including automobile homicide, a second-degree felony, and several third-degree felonies such as negligently operating a vehicle causing serious injury and obstruction of justice.
Additional charges against Bia include a class A misdemeanor for refusing a DUI test, class B misdemeanors for interfering with police, driving on a suspended license, and being an alcohol-restricted driver, as well as a class C misdemeanor for having an open container of alcohol in his vehicle.
The tragic incident occurred around 7:15 p.m. on April 5, when Bia, who was reportedly speeding in a Dodge Charger, ran a red light at the intersection of 900 West and 200 South.
He T-boned another vehicle that was making a left turn, resulting in the death of the other vehicle’s driver, Ernesto Puga, 42.
Puga’s 10-year-old daughter also sustained “substantial injury” and was taken to a local hospital for treatment.
“Ernesto was an amazing guy. He was an amazing father,” Puga’s ex-wife Daisy Quintanar expressed to KSL TV.
Upon hearing the news of Puga’s death, Quintanar said she felt angry, sad, and in disbelief.
“(It’s) something that should have never happened,” she lamented. “Ernesto was doing everything right, and for him to be hit by someone doing everything wrong, it’s just maddening.
The whole family is mad at this guy who did this, and we want justice.”
When officers arrived at the scene, they found Bia still inside his vehicle, yelling obscenities at multiple witnesses around him.
Police had to physically pull Bia out of his car and noticed clear signs of impairment, which included containers of alcohol present on the floorboards.
While transporting Bia to the police department for a DUI test, he repeatedly interrupted officers, refusing to answer questions and shouting obscenities, admitting, “I knew I was DUI” and lamenting, “My life is over.”
Investigators concluded that Bia had entered the intersection a staggering 34 seconds after the light had turned red and was driving at an alarming speed of 70 mph, despite the area having a speed limit of just 25 mph.
Prosecutors highlighted Bia’s troubling criminal history as well, noting that he had pleaded guilty to impaired driving in 2023.
Less than six months after that guilty plea, while still on probation, Bia faced new charges for driving under the influence, being an alcohol-restricted driver, and driving on a suspended or revoked license in a separate incident that occurred on June 1, 2024.
In that episode, bystanders reported that Bia appeared to be passed out at the wheel before he drove through a railroad crossing arm and crashed into the side of a moving Union Pacific train.
As a result of his criminal record and the severity of the new charges, prosecutors have requested that Bia be held in the Salt Lake County Jail without the possibility of bail pending trial.
Meanwhile, Puga’s family has initiated a GoFundMe to support aid for his two children, with further details available for those interested in contributing.
*KSL TV does not guarantee that any funds deposited will directly benefit the listed beneficiaries and advises potential donors to proceed at their own risk.*
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