Utah lawmaker resigns a day after arrest on suspicion of driving under the influence

Utah state senator quits after DUI arrest

SALT LAKE CITY — A Utah lawmaker has resigned from the state Senate a day after he was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence.

State Senate Majority Leader Sheldon Killpack, a Syracuse Republican, issued a statement Saturday saying he decided to quit after discussing his options with his family and friends, and determining he had become a distraction to the Legislature.

The 41-year-old Killpack, whose father was killed by a drunken driver when he was a teenager, has sponsored and supported drunken-driving measures.

The Utah Highway Patrol says the 41-year-old Killpack was pulled over after a trooper observed his vehicle driving erratically early Friday.

The trooper detected “a strong odor of alcohol” and asked Killpack to perform field sobriety tests. Killpack performed the tests but refused to take a breath test.