This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2010, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
State and local police got a break Friday in their search for the man who stole a school bus, crashed into a police car and a tree and then ran away. Now, they know what he looks like.
Sandy police Capt. Kevin Thacker said that a bus security camera — which authorities earlier had thought not to be operating — actually did snap several images of the thief as he boarded the Canyons School District bus Thursday morning.
"The photos were taken from inside the bus. We are looking for any information on who the suspect might be," Thacker said.
The bus was stolen about 5 a.m. Thursday from a district motor pool parking lot in Sandy. A school district security guard spotted the vehicle being driven away and called 911, and it was sighted a short time later on Interstate 15 near 9000 South. A Utah Highway Patrol trooper chased it, following the speeding bus onto Interstate 80, where it collided with a Taylorsville police canine unit vehicle and another car before exiting the interstate at Redwood Road.
The bus ran a red light at North Temple and Redwood Road and was found shortly afterward by Salt Lake police at 1633 W. 500 North, where it had crashed into a tree. A subsequent search of the area failed to find the thief.
No one other than the thief was aboard the bus, and no injuries were reported from the crashes.
Anyone with information on the suspect's identity or whereabouts is urged to call the Sandy Police Department at 801-840-4000.