South Salt Lake bank robbery leads to high speed chase, wrong way crash; innocent driver critically injured

The Friday afternoon robbery of a US Bank in South Salt Lake ended with police chasing one suspect, who crashed his vehicle and rolled it near the intersection of I-80 and Redwood Road. Photo: Gephardt Daily.

SOUTH SALT LAKE CITY, Utah, Aug. 5, 2016 (Gephardt Daily) — A woman motorist has been hospitalized in critical condition after being hit head-on by a bank robbery suspect driving the wrong way on Redwood Road while attempting to flee police.

Officer Mitch Howard, assistant PIO for South Salt Lake Police Department, told Gephardt Daily the collision happened while the suspect was being chased shortly after robbing the US Bank at 2700 South and 300 West. 

“A single gunman entered a bank, presented a firearm and then took an undisclosed amount of money,” Howard said. “(He) left pretty quickly. He then went outside to a waiting vehicle where there was another driver. 

“Officers were able to identify that vehicle soon after, and a pursuit ensued. Shortly after, the suspects were able to elude officers for a moment. They then ditched that vehicle.”

One of the suspects, identified by police to Gephardt Daily as Christopher Glines, 37, was taken into custody not far from where the car was ditched, while a second suspect, identified as Alexander Millar, 33, was seen speeding from the area in a second vehicle. 

Police initiated a second chase, which stretched from South Salt Lake all the way to Magna and then back to Redwood Road, where the head-on crash occurred near the intersection with Interstate 80.

“There was a female occupant and the only other occupant of the vehicle who was injured,” Officer Howard said. “She was taken to an area hospital … with some significant injuries, not believed to be life threatening.”

“We had positively identified the fact that this individual came in, displayed a firearm with the intent to possibly use that firearm,” he said. “So, at that point, there was an aggravated circumstance. There’s a high risk to the public with an individual that’s willing to go into a place filled with people from the public, as well as people who work at the bank, and display that firearm to do a robbery … They were willing to do anything and everything to escape.”

Millar, the suspect believed to have pulled the weapon during the actual bank robbery, suffered lacerations and a dislocated shoulder in the wrong-way crash.

Police say they recovered a handgun and cash taken from the bank inside the vehicle.

Both suspects have been booked into the Salt Lake County jail where they will be held on upcoming charges of first-degree aggravated robbery and fleeing police.

“It could have been worse,” Officer Howard said. “You hate to see anyone get injured, but the suspect was going the wrong direction in oncoming traffic, and we hope for a fast recovery of the person involved.” 

 

4 COMMENTS

  1. When will we demand an end to high speed pursuits? Trying to say an individual who went into a bank and brandished a weapon justifies putting the public at risk for mile after mile is ludicrous! From South Salt Lake to Magna then back to Redwood Road!! My god think of all the tragedies that could have happened. Citizens walking with children, other drivers, this is insane. As a citizen I would rather take the chance of them getting away than having all those cars racing at ungodly speeds down my streets. The police need to remember “Protect and Serve” not “Race and Endanger”.

    • Meh! Makes for good press. Just jump out of the way when they come your way! Looks good in the movies!

      Anyway 2 bad guys caught and only one “innocent” hurt. Seems like good odds.

  2. Okay, Sherryl. Tell that to the criminals.
    The police try to apprehend without endangering others. If the criminals choose to run, the police do what they can to stop the criminals before they cause any further damage. Sometimes, the criminals cause more damage no matter what the police do.
    The police did not force the criminal to drive on the wrong side of the road. The criminal did all the damage.

  3. Only one innocent hurt! My daughter has multiple broken bones, her spine, her ribs, brain damage and a punctured lung. Still in a wheel chair 3 weeks later and looking to a long hard recovery. Just shut up. Both of you.

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