Salt Lake City police arrest woman in connection with hit-and-run that killed 1, injured 5

Officials in Sat Lake City have arrested a woman who drove onto a sidewalk near a homeless shelter, killing one woman and injuring five others. (Salt Lake City Police Department)

SALT LAKE CITY – Police have arrested a woman in connection with a fatal hit-and-run crash that occurred in downtown Salt Lake City Tuesday night.

Lt. Robin Heiden of the Salt Lake City Police Department confirmed 37-year-old Shutney Lee Kyzer was arrested Wednesday.

Later Wednesday night, police identified the woman who was killed as 27-year-old Kendra Griffis.

The arrest came, in part, thanks to the help of a dog groomer in the Sugar House area.

“Every time I heard the door chime, my heart stopped,” said Stephen Bolinder, manager of The Dog Show, a grooming shop.

Bolinder said that Kyzer reached out Wednesday morning to try and get her paycheck.

“Today is payday and she said she needed $500 right now,” Bolinder said. “I told her that the checks don’t come in until 5 p.m.”

Bolinder wondered if Kyzer might come in, and so did police. Undercover officers, working with Bolinder’s help, kept an eye on the store throughout the day.

However, despite calling Bolinder twice, Kyzer never actually showed up. Fortunately, officers were able to track her down around 5 p.m.

Kyzer will be taken directly to prison due to a parole violation, and police say she will also face charges for Tuesday's deadly crash. Her criminal history includes convictions over the years for offenses like kidnapping, possession of a controlled substance and assault.

Police say a gold Mazda went up onto the curb near 465 West and 200 South just before 7 p.m. Tuesday, where it struck several people.

Griffis was killed in the crash, while another individual suffered critical injuries and four other patients were treated for lesser wounds.

Wednesday, police issued a photo of Kyzer and identified her as a person of interest in the case. Based on witness statements, police believe Kyzer was behind the wheel when the deadly crash occurred.