WEST VALLEY CITY, May 29, 2020 (Gephardt Daily) — Officers of the West Valley City Police Department spotted a stolen car early Friday morning and followed it at a distance into Murray before the driver and passenger noticed them and fled.
By then, officers from multiple agencies had joined the effort, and it was a Sandy officer who finally found the vehicle, crashed into the side of a bank.
Sgt. Jacob Palmer, WVCPD, said the driver was male, but the gender of the passenger was unknown. The driver pulled into a Costco parking lot near 5300 South and State, then noticed multiple police cars.
“The vehicle pulled up next to me,” Palmer said. “I turned on my lights in an attempt to stop it, at which time the vehicle fled at a high rate of speed.”
Police did not pursue the vehicle.
“There were multiple officers in the area, multiple agencies assisting, so all along State Street, we were able to keep a visual on the vehicle as it fled southbound,” Palmer said.
A Sandy officer watched the stolen car continue south, then saw it after it had crashed into a First Utah Bank building. The suspects had fled.
“I’m surprised we didn’t find them, just because of the damage to the vehicle, and we were on them pretty quick,” Palmer said.
“It’s possible they went into a house over here, or made it northbound into the apartment complex before we could get them. But it’s not usual for them to get away that quick, especially after an accident when we’re on top of them.”
Palmer said police were looking at bank video, and hoped to find other surveillance footage or doorbell recordings to give them a better idea of who they were looking for. He said the first officer got a good look at the driver’s face, so that would help with identification as well.
