This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2013, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
A high speed chase on Interstate 15 in Nevada and Arizona came to a crawl and then a stop when the suspects blew across the Utah border — and over tire spike strips laid by Utah Highway Patrol troopers.
UHP said a black 2007 BMW 750 Li sedan, traveling at an estimated 140 mph, was being chased in the northbound lanes of I-15 about 7:30 a.m. Wednesday by Arizona Highway Patrol troopers. The pursuit had begun in Nevada, where state troopers there had tried and failed to pull the car over for speeding.
As the chase approached the Utah-Arizona line, Arizona troopers contacted UHP's Cedar City office and asked for assistance. Two miles inside Utah on I-15, UHP troopers spread the spike strips and successfully punctured all four tires. The BMW slowed and eventually stopped when the tires had fully deflated.
"When the male driver of the BMW attempted to flee on foot he was subdued by [Arizona] troopers. A UHP trooper [then] arrived on scene and took a female passenger into custody without incident," UHP Cpl. Todd Johnson said.
A subsequent search of the BMW allegedly turned up methamphetamine, marijuana, drug paraphernalia and alcohol.
The 33-year-old driver and the 29-year-old female passenger, both from California, were arrested pending state charges in Nevada, Arizona and Utah.