VINEYARD, Utah, March 21, 2021 (Gephardt Daily) — Police have released dramatic video of officers rescuing a DUI suspect pinned in the wreckage of his burning vehicle Thursday morning.
The footage, recorded on an Orem patrol officer’s body-cam, shows police as they arrive at an accident site where the fleeing DUI suspect had crashed his SUV after driving off a bridge embankment in Vineyard, shortly after fleeing from Provo Police.
According to a statement by the Utah County Sheriff’s Office, Provo PD first made contact with the DUI suspect around 8:30 a.m. “The driver fled,” the news release said. “Provo ended the pursuit and sent out an attempt to locate for other agencies to watch for the vehicle. A short time later a vehicle matching the Provo pursuit suspect hit a FedEx truck in Orem and left the scene.”
A citizen who witnessed the hit and run called 911 and followed the vehicle into Vineyard, the news release said. In Vineyard, a Utah County sheriff’s deputy saw the vehicle pass a stopped school bus with its red flashing lights and children getting aboard. The deputy attempted to stop the SUV, but the driver fled once again, police said.
The SUV continued eastbound on Center Street and ran the red light at Center Street and Vineyard Road. “It continued up the overpass where it left the roadway to the south, crashing at the bottom near the railroad tracks,” the news release said.
A statement posted on Facebook by the Orem Police Department said three of its officers came upon the accident site and took action.
“3 Orem Officers, Officer Halladay, Officer Harrison and Officer Bybee, arrived and could see the vehicle was on fire. Not thinking about the danger of a burning vehicle, they were able to pull the driver, who was hanging out of the passenger side window, free from the burning vehicle and to safety,” the Orem PD statement said. “The officers put their own lives at risk to save the driver, who had sustained a broken leg and other injuries during the crash. The driver was treated by paramedics and transported to a local hospital to receive treatment. We as a department would like to commend Officers Halladay, Harrison and Bybee for their bravery during this incident.”
The suspect, identified by police as Salt Lake City resident, Dustin Scott Butterfield, 35, was reported in serious condition.
After investigating this incident Utah County Sheriff’s office charged Butterfield with felony evading, DUI, failure to stop for school bus, and running a red light. Because of his injuries Butterfield was not booked into jail. Instead he will receive a summons to appear in court at a later date.
Butterfield is currently on parole. He has an extensive criminal history that includes, among other things, multiple convictions for both felony DUI and felony evading.
