Body Camera Footage of High Speed Chase in Washington County Released
KANAB, UTAH – APRIL 23, 2015 (GEPHARDT DAILY) – The Kane County Sheriff’s Office has released the body camera footage from Tuesdays high speed chase involving an Arizona man that took officers through Zion National Park.
The chase started on Tuesday night around 7:20 p.m., when St. George Emergency Dispatch Center broadcast an ‘attempt to locate’ for a vehicle evading the Kane County Sheriff’s officers. The suspect, identified as Oscar Flores, was driving a black Mitsubishi Lancer and had just entered Zion National Park.
Park Rangers from Zion National Park assisted with the pursuit as it passed through their jurisdiction and into the town of Springdale where Springdale Police joined in the chase. A Patrol Sergeant with the Sheriff’s Office was able to successfully deploy spike strips on the suspect vehicle, just west of the Town of Virgin, deflating two of the tires.
The vehicle then continued toward the City of LaVerkin, and deputies there assisted the LaVerkin Police in diverting the chase onto SR-17 and toward the Interstate. The vehicle continued north on SR-17 at speeds reported to be near 90 mph. The suspect vehicle’s driver failed to slow down enough to avoid striking a Sheriff Deputy’s vehicle from the rear. The Deputy was not injured in the collision and continued to following the suspects vehicle.
A Deputy was eventually able to successfully perform a PIT maneuver on and disabled the suspect’s vehicle near the Ashcreek Bridge. The suspect fled on foot and was apprehended shortly after.
Flores is currently being held at Purgatory Correctional Facility on charges of Evading by Vehicle, Failure to Stop at Officers Command, Theft of a Motor Vehicle, and two counts of Criminal Mischief. Bail has been set at $25,550.
No injuries were reported in the incident.
