KEARNS, Utah, Feb. 2, 2018 (Gephardt Daily) — A driver fleeing from a traffic stop lost control of his car and damaged property at America First Credit Union before rolling the vehicle at about 4015 W. 5245 South on Friday night.
Lt. Paul Barker, Unified Police Department, told Gephardt Daily an officer attempted to make a traffic stop for some violations, and the driver fled as soon as he saw the police car.
The officer didn’t initiate a pursuit, Barker said, but put out on the radio that the vehicle took off and had a temporary license plate. He let others on the radio know in which direction the vehicle fled.
Just a short while later, “dispatch advised of the rollover,” Barker said. “The vehicle description matched the one that fled, and officers responded and quickly set up a containment area. They utilized K-9 dogs and started tracking the suspect.”
A large park is to the north of where the rollover occurred, and the suspect was found in the park under a tree. Barker said the suspect, a man in his 20s, sustained some injuries in the rollover and was being treated by Unified Fire Authority personnel.
The suspect indicated to police that he had swallowed some heroin, so he was being taken to the hospital “so he won’t die of an overdose,” Barker said.
“We’ll save his life and then take him off to jail.”
Barker said witnesses told police the car hit the curb and damaged mostly landscaping — trees and bushes. The vehicle then continued out of control until it rolled.
Barker said officials were waiting to get the car in a better position to see the vehicle identification number, because “the temporary plate looks like a fictitious temporary.”
