WEST VALLEY CITY, Utah, April 15, 2017 (Gephardt Daily) — The driver of a stolen vehicle wasn’t interested in being stopped by police Saturday night, so he decided to lead officers on a chase because it would be “fun.”
West Valley City Police later identified the driver as 25-year-old Fernando Sam Salgado.
WVC Police Sgt. Todd Gray told Gephardt Daily that a vehicle was stolen out of West Valley City, and family members of the car’s owner were pretty sure they saw it in the parking lot of a gas station at 3500 South and 3200 West.
When police arrived, Gray said, the car was already gone, but officers spotted it a short while later and attempted to stop it. Gray said the car’s tires were spiked, but the driver fled anyway, out of West Valley and into the Taylorsville area.
A chase lasting several minutes ensued, from the east side of West Valley to Bangerter Highway, along Bangerter to Highway 201, and onto the freeway. Gray termed it a “slow-speed chase,” hitting a maximum of about 57 mph on the highway because the car’s tires were deflated.
Gray said police terminated the pursuit when the vehicle got back into the commercial area because they didn’t want to endanger anyone. He said officers were hoping the suspect would abandon the car, but he didn’t. Instead, he got caught up in traffic and police were able to take him into custody at Bangerter and 5400 South.
Gray said the suspect wasn’t wanted for anything; however, police did find methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia in the car.
“He admitted he fled. He knew the car was stolen,” Gray told Gephardt Daily. “He said he thought it would be fun to get in a high-speed chase.”
Salgado now faces charges of receiving or transfer of a stolen vehicle, a second-degree felony; failure to stop or respond at command of police, a third-degree felony; and three class B misdemeanor charges of reckless driving, possession or use of controlled substances, and use or possession of drug paraphernalia.
