UTAH (ABC4) – A Utah man has pleaded guilty to intentionally driving the wrong way on I-215 in Salt Lake County last April and causing a crash that left one woman dead, and injured two others.
Justin Wayne Robertston, 36, pleaded guilty to a slew of charges as part of a plea deal in a courtroom Wednesday afternoon.
Before the crash on April 19, 2021, Robertson allegedly hit a parked police car in Cottonwood Heights. He then reportedly took off, traveling in the wrong direction on the transition ramp from southbound I-15 to eastbound 215, when his vehicle collided with two other cars.
According to court documents, the crash injured two people – a driver that was treated on scene and a passenger that was transported to a hospital with minor injuries – and killed one: 19-year-old Gwendolyn Doner of Casper, Wyoming. She had been transported by air ambulance after being pinned inside her vehicle, but later passed away due to injuries from the crash.
Robertson attempted to flee the scene on foot, but was apprehended a short time later.
Authorities say Robertson was displaying signs of impairment and “stated several times he was high.” The probable cause statement says Robertson admitted to using methamphetamine “10 to 30 minutes prior to the crash.”
Robertson, according to court documents, said: “he had done these things on purpose because he wanted to start something due to being mad at his life.”
As part of the plea deal, he faces a sentence of 20 to 30 years in prison.
