UTAH COUNTY, Utah, Feb. 24, 2020 (Gephardt Daily) — A Utah County woman was arrested Saturday after allegedly leading police on a chase that reached speeds of 100 mph.
A probable cause statement from Utah County said Sidney Dawn Helm, 22, is facing charges of:
- Receive or transfer stolen vehicle, a second-degree felony
- Failure to stop at command of police, a second-degree felony
- Reckless driving, a class B misdemeanor
- Theft, a class B misdemeanor
- Driving on a denied license, a class C misdemeanor
The arresting officer attempted to conduct a felony traffic stop on a white Infiniti G37 with a stolen Idaho license plate, the statement said. The officer activated his overhead lights at 1020 W. Main St. in American Fork near Harts Gas and Food.
“As I got out of my car, I drew my department issued firearm and aimed it at the driver side window and began giving commands to the driver, Sidney Helm, to turn the car off as I waited for backing officers to respond to the scene,” the arresting officer said. “Sidney briefly opened the door, looked back at me, then closed the door and drove away. I immediately got into my clearly marked patrol vehicle with my lights and sirens activated and initiated a vehicle pursuit.”
The pursuit lasted approximately 10 minutes and reached speeds of 100 miles per hour, the statement said.
Eventually the vehicle driven by Helm pulled into the driveway of a residence.
“Once in the driveway, the vehicle slowed down as I sped up, and with my brakes being overly hot and not working to their full potential, I ran into the back of the car causing a minor accident,” the statement said. “After the collision, I immediately got out of my patrol vehicle, and aimed my department issued firearm at the driver side window and again began giving commands to Sidney to show me her hands.”
After about 30 seconds of commands, Helm and a male passenger got out of the vehicle and ran towards the back of the house. The officer caught up with Helm and placed her in handcuffs. The man ran from the scene. A search of the area was completed by a Lehi K-9 and several other officers from assisting agencies, and the male suspect was located and arrested.
Both suspects were transported to Utah County Jail.
