This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2012, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Utah Highway Patrol troopers took a man into custody late Friday morning after a prolonged, wrong-way chase on Salt Lake Valley interstate freeways.
UHP Cpl. Todd Johnson said the drama began at 10:26 a.m. when the male suspect was spotted by a trooper driving straight at him, westbound in the eastbound lanes Interstate 80 near 700 East. The driver sped past the trooper, then merged onto I-15, going northbound in the southbound lanes.
With troopers now in pursuit, the driver continued driving the wrong way on I-15, causing two crashes — a minor injury collision at 3100 South and a non-injury accident at 3300 South — as motorists swerved to avoid him.
Johnson said troopers twice attempted "pit maneuvers" — where a law officer purposely collides with the suspect vehicle to force it to a stop. It was the second attempt that succeeded in stopping the suspect near an I-15 on ramp, and pinning the vehicle against a utility pole near 5300 South.
The man was arrested without further incident and booked into Salt Lake County Jail on suspicion of reckless driving and evading law officers.