WEST VALLEY CITY, Utah, Feb. 14, 2024 (Gephardt Daily) — After allegedly running a red light and eluding attempted traffic stops by police, a motorist’s flight ended when he plowed into the back of a car.
No injuries were reported in the one-hour episode, but both vehicles were totaled, police said, and four guns were located in the trunk, which will likely add to the charges against Kaleb Ray Peterson, 24, who was booked into the Salt Lake County Jail early Tuesday morning.
Events began shortly before 9 p.m. the night before when West Valley City police spotted Peterson running a red light while northbound on 3600 W and 4100 S. “The vehicle fled after emergency equipment on my fully marked patrol vehicle was activated,” reads charging documents filed by a West Valley City officer. The suspect “accelerated to a very high rate of speed.”
A Taylorsville Police Department officer also attempted a traffic stop on the suspect within their city, which Peterson also fled.
In Draper, Peterson crashed into another vehicle, totaling both, according to his probable cause affidavit. “Charges will be screened by each agency respectively,” including state Adult Probation and Parole, under which Peterson is currently supervised.
While impounding Peterson’s vehicle, Draper PD located four firearms in the trunk, one listed as stolen. Peterson admitted the firearms were his “but forgot they were in the vehicle (and) did not know the one was stolen.”
West Valley City police booked him into jail on suspicion of evading police, a third degree felony, the stop light violation and an infraction for an obscured license plate, which had a dark tint cover over it.
Photo by Gephardt Daily photojournalist Monico Garza
