WEBER COUNTY, Utah, Aug. 17, 2020 (Gephardt Daily) — A wrong-way driver fleeing a Weber County sheriff’s deputy crashed at Pineview Dam Sunday.
A probable cause statement from the 2nd District Court of Weber County said Michael Merlin Jones, 29, is facing charges of:
- Failure to stop or respond at command of police, a third-degree felony
- Theft of a firearm or operable vehicle, a third-degree felony
- Possession of a controlled substance, a class A misdemeanor
- Failure to remain at an accident involving injury, a class A misdemeanor
- Use of possession of drug paraphernalia, a class B misdemeanor
- Reckless driving, a class B misdemeanor
- No proof of insurance, an infraction
- Drive on wrong side of roadway, an infraction
- Unsafe lane travel, an infraction
The arresting officer was on patrol in the area of 500 N. State Route 158 just before 7 p.m. when the suspect’s car passed him at a “high rate of speed so fast that it shook my patrol truck,” the statement said.
The officer caught up to the car as it stopped on the wrong side of the road on the left shoulder. The officer then activated his lights and the suspect car began to flee.
“I turned on my sirens and chased the car,” the statement said. “The car began to travel so fast that it was too dangerous to continue to try and stop it so, I terminated my pursuit. A short distance later, the car passed traffic on the wrong side of the road and then collided with a concrete barrier at Pineview Dam. The car continued on and hit another barrier and then collided with a pickup truck.”
The driver of the truck sustained minor injuries. The driver of the car, subsequently identified as Jones, began to run on foot as his car was disabled.
Jones ran to a nearby car that stopped for the accident and tried to open the passenger side door to get in. The officer was able to apprehend Jones prior to him getting into the car.
A search of Jones incident to arrest led to the discovery of methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia.
“Michael did not have proof of insurance and said he did not stop because of the way things are now with cops and COVID,” the statement said.
Jones was transported to Weber County Jail, where he was subsequently released with conditions.
