This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2017, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

An early Thursday morning shooting in eastern Utah left two men — ages 18 and 19 — in critical condition and a third man was behind bars.

Uintah County sheriff's dispatchers received 911 calls at about 6:30 a.m., reporting shots fired in Maiser, near 660 South and 2500 West. Before deputies could arrive at the scene, one wounded man had staggered down the street, where a "concerned citizen" picked him up and rushed him to Ashley Regional Medical Center in Vernal.

Meanwhile, the second wounded man had driven from the scene in a black Pontiac Grand Am, only to crash into a pole about seven blocks away, near 2000 West and 500 North.

Deputies discovered one bullet hole by the gas tank and another in the rear passenger door. The driver also was taken by ambulance to the hospital.

The Sheriff's Office issued a statement issued a statement confirming that a 21-year-old man, who recently moved to Vernal, was arrested and booked on suspicion of two counts of attempted homicide.

Police believe the altercation began when the 21-year-old suspected the two victims of taking property from him. All of the men had allegedly a party at a residence the night before, and police believe drugs and alcohol were contributing factors in the incident.

No other suspects were being sought, deputies said.

Investigators, citing the ongoing nature of the case, did not release details about what may have prompted the gunfire.

Anyone with information on this case is asked to call the Sheriff's Office at 435-789-4222.

Twitter: @remims