DAVIS COUNTY, Utah, June 9, 2023 (Gephardt Daily) — A motorcyclist who police say admitted to fleeing at speeds topping 100 mph stretched law enforcement resources from Davis to Salt Lake County before he was arrested.
The 19-year-old cyclist passed a Davis County Sheriff’s Office Deputy southbound on 1-15 at a high rate of speed to begin the dramas, according to charging documents in 2nd District Court.
“I sped up to the motorcycle and began pacing him with my patrol vehicle,” the deputy wrote in a probable cause affidavit on the Monday late night incident. “Prior to turning on my emergency overhead lights, I noted that we were traveling at 99 mph.”
Upon initiating a traffic stop turning on lights and siren passing the Parrish Lane overpass, the deputy said “the rider looked over his shoulder at me, then looked forward and accelerated at a high rate of speed. At this time it was obvious that the rider was actively fleeing.”
The deputy said he radioed a description of the rider and his vehicle, direction of travel, etc, upon pulling over to the right shoulder of the interstate. After several minutes, he said he returned to the roadway where he “obeyed all traffic laws.”
“Moments later, a (Utah Highway Patrol) trooper south of our location informed me on the radio that the motorcycle was traveling southbound at 140 mph.” Within minutes of that transmission the deputy said another trooper radioed that the motorcycle had been stopped and the rider detained in South Salt Lake.
The deputy arrived on the scene at 253 E 3300 South in South Salt Lake where the rider, identified as Spencer Reid Leland, was handcuffed in a patrol vehicle. The deputy Mirandized Leland, who agreed to speak with him, according to the affidavit.
“I then proceeded to ask if Spencer had seen me, in which he stated yes. Spencer informed me that he did not stop due to being scared.”
Leland was booked into the Davis County Jail that night on suspicion of speeding and evading police, the former an infraction, the latter a third-degree felony.
