This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2013, and information in the article may be outdated.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.
Pinned in his crashed pickup truck, a West Jordan man decided the best way to get help early Wednesday morning was to pull a handgun and blast his windshield.
After neighbors heard the gunfire and called 911, the man was rescued by police and firefighters about 1:30 a.m. from an irrigation canal where he had rolled his truck near 1700 W. Cole Lane (6650 South).
However, he did not escape a citation for driving while under the influence of alcohol — and West Jordan police Officer Craig Carroll said the city attorney's office also was screening possible charges of possession of a firearm by an intoxicated person and discharging a firearm within city limits.
"The accident occurred in a residential area that dead-ends. The driver rolled his truck, driver's side down, into this canal which had a minimal amount of water in it. Somehow, his legs were trapped and he couldn't get out," Carroll said.
"So, he waited about 45 minutes and then I guess he panicked, being cold and wet, and fired three rounds through his windshield," Carroll added. "I don't know why he didn't just honk the horn."
The man was taken to Jordan Valley Medical Center, treated for minor injuries, released and — after a blood draw allegedly confirmed he was intoxicated — cited for DUI.
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