PUBLIC RELATIONS UNIT

August 28, 2023

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Media Contact Information: PolicePRUnit@slcgov.com

Media Request Form: https://slcpd.com/mediarequest/

SLCPD Releases Names of Men Arrested in August 25^th Crash

SALT LAKE CITY — Today, the Salt Lake City Police Department (SLCPD) is releasing the names of the two men arrested in connection to the August 25, 2023 crash that injured four people – one critically.

Officers booked the 19-year-old driver, Liam Kavanagh, into the Salt Lake County Metro Jail on one felony count of driving under the influence, one misdemeanor count of unlawful consumption of alcohol by a minor, and a traffic infraction. Additional charges may be filed upon a case review with the district attorney’s office.

Officers booked the 19-year-old passenger, Nicholas Kalberer, into the Salt Lake County Metro Jail on one misdemeanor count of failure to disclose identity, one misdemeanor count of obstructing justice, and one misdemeanor count of unlawful consumption of alcohol by a minor.

This investigation started just after 1 a.m. on Friday, August 25, 2023, when SLC911 received multiple 9-1-1 calls about a traffic crash involving two cars at the intersection of 700 East and 600 South.

Officers arrived and found two cars, a Kia and a Mini Cooper, with heavy damage.

The preliminary investigation shows the driver of the Mini Cooper, Kavanagh, was traveling at a high rate of speed eastbound on 600 South before crashing into the Kia.

The crash caused serious, but non-life-threatening, injuries to Kavanagh.

Officers determined Kavanagh to be under the influence of alcohol at the time of the crash.

The passenger of the Mini Cooper, Kalberer, is accused of providing false information to officers about the crash, including lying about his involvement.

Officers also determined Kalberer to be illegally under the influence of alcohol as a minor.

The Kia had a total of three people inside.

The driver had minor injuries. Paramedics took the woman to the hospital. She has been treated and released.

The crash critically injured one of the Kia’s back-seat passengers. The second back-seat passenger had serious, but non-life-threatening injuries.

The Salt Lake City Police Department is not releasing the names of anyone from inside the Kia. This is standard practice. The department can, however, confirm the driver was working as a rideshare operator.

The passenger critically injured remains in the hospital in critical, but stable condition.

Charges are only allegations, and every arrested person is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

The Salt Lake City Police Department is not the custodian of record for jail booking photos. Utah Code 17-22-30 mostly prohibits the release of jail booking photos. Generally, a jail booking photo can only be released by the custodian of record after a conviction or when law enforcement determines the person is a fugitive or an imminent threat to a person or public safety. In Salt Lake City, the Salt Lake County Sheriff’s Office is the custodian of record for jail booking photos.

The Crash Analysis Reconstruction (CAR) Team and SLCPD Crime Lab technicians responded to the scene.

The CAR Team is a multi-jurisdictional crash team that investigates crashes involving serious physical injuries or death. Members of the CAR Team receive specialized training in collision examination, speed analysis, vehicle dynamics, occupant kinematics, scene photography, surveying equipment, crash scene mapping, evidence collection and computer aided drawing programs.

The CAR Team includes law enforcement from the Salt Lake City Police Department and several other Salt Lake Valley law enforcement agencies.

There is no other information available for release.

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