NORTHERN UTAH, Sept. 3, 2023 (Gephardt Daily) — A 19-year-old man has been booked into the Salt Lake County Jail on suspicion of felony crimes including receiving or theft or transfer of a stolen vehicle and failing to respond to commands of law enforcement officers during a three-county chase that allegedly reached 107 mph.
The chase, which ended with the arrest of Uatisone Kelemete, began when a white SUV was reported stolen from the parking lot of a Lehi 7-Eleven.
“The stolen vehicle was a white 2015 Cadillac Escalade with dealer plates,” says an affidavit filed in Kelemete’s arrest by an officer of the Utah Highway Patrol.
“Lehi (police) pursued the stolen vehicle into Salt Lake County before terminating the pursuit. I located the stolen vehicle traveling northbound on I-15 near 9000 South. I followed from a distance until other officers arrived.”
The trooper’s radar clocked the Escalade at 107 mph, the statement says.
“The vehicle slowed back down and I got behind the vehicle. When I activated my emergency lighting to pull the vehicle over, it fled at a high rate of speed.”
The trooper noted alleged traffic violations including speeding, failure to signal, following too close and driving in emergency lanes, among others, the affidavit says.
According to reports from the scene, a helicopter was launched and caught up to the SUV at 600 north Interstate 15. The pursuit continued to Davis County and into a Farmington neighborhood before the SUV re-entered the interstate southbound, and continued until it reached Bountiful.
“The tires on the vehicle were eventually spiked, and the driver ditched the vehicle on the freeway and ran on foot into a neighborhood nearby,” the affidavit says. “The driver was located in a backyard, and ran on foot until he tripped and was apprehended.”
The driver, who was alone in the SUV, was identified as Kelemete through a records check.
“A bag of marijuana was located in the subject’s sweatshirt, post arrest,” the affidavit says. “The subject does not have a medical marijuana card and does not have a valid driver license. The subject is currently on parole.”
Kelemete was arrested at 10:35 p.m. Sunday for investigation of:
- Receive or transfer stolen vehicle, a second-degree felony
- Failure to respond to officer’s signal to stop, a class B misdemeanor
- Reckless driving, a class B misdemeanor
- Possession of controlled substance marijuana/spice, a class B misdemeanor
- Operating vehicle without license or registration (suspended or revoked), a class C misdemeanor
- Speeding 100 mph or more, an infraction
Kelemete was ordered held without bail.
