GARFIELD COUNTY, Utah, June 2, 2021 (Gephardt Daily) — A Garfield County man was arrested Tuesday afternoon after allegedly hitting two road crew members with his vehicle.
A probable cause statement from the 6th District Court of Panguitch said Michael Reese, 62, is facing charges of:
- Knowingly produce, dispense, manufacture a controlled substance, a third-degree felony
- Reckless endangerment, a class A misdemeanor
- DUI, a class B misdemeanor
- Possession of a controlled substance, a class B misdemeanor
- Use or possession of drug paraphernalia, a class B misdemeanor
The driver, Reese, was traveling on State Route 12 at approximately 2:30 p.m., the statement said.
The arresting officer wrote: “I responded to a report of a black Cadillac SUV that had run through the construction zone at mile marker 13 and hit two flaggers/construction workers.”
Reese was pulled over at mile marker 22 soon after, the statement said.
“He admitted to passing all the stopped cars and going to the front of the construction zone without authorization and later proceeding past a flagger’s stop sign and continuing eastbound,” the statement said.
“He denied hitting anyone, but two workers said he nudged them with the mirror and front bumper, there were also several other coworkers as witnesses.”
Reese also allegedly admitted to using marijuana, and failed field sobriety tests, the statement said.
“A subsequent search of his vehicle revealed five marijuana plants,” the statement said. “I also found a lighter, some matches, and a soda can with burnt marijuana residue. I searched Michael’s person incident to arrest and found a pipe hooked onto a container, the container had ground marijuana residue and the pipe had burnt residue.”
Reese was transported to Garfield County Jail with his bail set at $9,800.
