TOOELE COUNTY, Utah, Sept. 25, 2024 (Gephardt Daily) — A high-speed chase on I-80 that began in Wells, Nevada, Wednesday evening ended in flames in Tooele County.
The Utah Highway Patrol joined the chase when the suspect vehicle crossed the Utah-Nevada state line just after 5:30 p.m., according to the UHP. Speeds topped 100 mph multiple times during the 143-mile pursuit.
The chase included UHP’s Star 8 helicopter and local police agencies. The suspect was allegedly fleeing Nevada officers from a domestic violence incident in Wells, said Cpl. Haley Scheer, a UHP public information officer.
Scheer said the chase finally ended at 6:26 p.m. with a “pit” maneuver, which usually involves a police vehicle making some kind of contact with a suspect vehicle, at mile marker 83 on I-80, 83 miles east of the Utah-Nevada border. Wells is 60 miles west of the border.
The suspect vehicle caught fire at the time, she said, the occupants able to get out before it became fully engulfed. “Medical was on scene and indicated there were no injuries,” Scheer said.
The suspect was in custody by 6:33 p.m., she said, adding she couldn’t confirm reports two hostages were with the suspect.
It wasn’t immediately clear what caused the suspect vehicle to catch fire after the pit maneuver.
