Utah
Utah troopers stop whopping 52 cars going 100+ mph over Easter weekend
Utah Freeway Patrol Sgt. Jeff Stevens appears for speeders on this Aug. 12, 2020, photograph. Troopers stated they stopped 52 drivers over the Easter weekend who have been touring sooner than 100 mph. (Jeffrey D. Allred, Deseret Information)
Estimated learn time: 3-4 minutes
NEPHI — The purpose for the Utah Freeway Patrol over the Easter vacation weekend was to scale back the variety of crashes on the freeways.
However after simply sooner or later, troopers seen a disturbing development: a excessive variety of drivers going sooner than 100 mph.
From Friday by Sunday, troopers carried out a particular velocity enforcement marketing campaign on I-15 from roughly Santaquin to the I-70 connector in Millard County, and on U.S. 6 resulting in the Little Sahara Recreation space. In simply the primary 30 hours of the marketing campaign, 30 autos have been stopped for going at the very least 100 mph.
For your entire weekend, a complete of 52 autos have been stopped for touring at 100 mph or sooner with the highest velocity being 121 mph, stated UHP Sgt. Corey Houskeeper.
“It is fairly regarding to see what number of 110s, 120s we noticed,” Houskeeper stated as he appeared over the statistics from the weekend. “It is actually regarding to see that quantity — 52 in a three-day interval.”
A type of going over 100 mph additionally became a chase.
About 5:15 p.m. Sunday, Houskeeper was patrolling I-15 in Juab County when he noticed a automotive going roughly 100 mph. When Houskeeper tried to tug the automobile over, it sped as much as 120 mph and didn’t cease.
“Throughout this time the automobile handed on the precise and lower vehicles off because it moved again to the left. Because the automobile did this, it got here near a number of vehicles and positioned many individuals at risk. This occurred many occasions and a assessment of the video must be completed to find out the precise quantity. At occasions, the automobile traveled in each lanes, the journey and the passing lane,” in keeping with a police reserving affidavit.
Troopers have been ultimately capable of spike the fleeing automobile’s tires.
“After the automobile was spiked, it continued touring 3 miles because the tires got here aside,” the affidavit states.
The driving force stopped on the shoulder of the highway, received out of his automotive and ran. He jumped a fence bordering the freeway and fled right into a residential space in Santaquin as troopers ran after him.
“We crossed by a number of backyards and alarmed a number of householders who have been of their yards,” Houskeeper famous within the affidavit.
Troopers caught up with Marshal Paul Dietrich, 23, and arrested him for investigation of DUI, dashing, failing to cease for police, having an open container of alcohol in his automobile, and 11 counts of reckless endangerment. Dietrich was additionally charged with DUI in February in Provo Justice Court docket, in keeping with courtroom data.
In one other incident from the weekend, Houskeeper stated troopers tried to cease a automobile for an tools violation when it additionally fled and reached a velocity of 135 mph. As a consequence of public security issues, troopers stopped chasing the automobile. However Houskeeper stated troopers have leads on the automobile and expect to trace down the motive force.
In an analogous incident, a Sevier County sheriff’s deputy noticed a motorcyclist going 123 mph Sunday night time in an space the place the velocity restrict is 60 mph, in keeping with a police reserving affidavit. The rider initially fled however was later arrested by the deputy.
On a constructive notice, the UHP reported zero fatalities on Utah’s freeways throughout the vacation weekend.
“That is fairly superb for as a lot site visitors as noticed,” Houskeeper stated.
In his space in Juab and Millard counties, Houskeeper stated there have been three crashes leading to accidents not thought of to be life-threatening. A type of crashes was the results of drowsy driving, he stated. One other was from driving whereas intoxicated.
As for why individuals caught going over 100 mph have been going so quick, Houskeeper stated troopers hear quite a lot of completely different causes. However he stated the underside line is the reward will not be well worth the danger. The period of time an individual touring between Salt Lake Metropolis and St. George will save by going over 100 mph doesn’t justify the danger that driver is placing a household in.
“That danger you take, the reward will not be there,” he stated.
Houskeeper stated troopers shall be conducting comparable velocity enforcement operations all summer time.