This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2014, and information in the article may be outdated.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 and crash led to the arrest of a fugitive and seizure of a variety of illegal drugs in Utah County early Monday morning.
Saratoga Springs police Cpl. Matt Schauerhamer said an officer spotted the suspect's vehicle about 2:30 a.m. and noted his license plate had been folded in half, making it unreadable. When he attempted to pull the car over, it sped away.
Heading south on Redwood Road, the vehicle accelerated to 100 mph. The chase covered about 30 miles in all, ending when the suspect crashed into a ditch in a field in the community of Elberta.
The driver and a male passenger, momentarily stunned by the vehicle's air bag deployment, were soon confronted by the officer and a K9 unit and did not attempt to flee. Both were then taken into custody without further incident.
The 31-year-old driver, a federal prison parolee wanted on warrants, was arrested. Schauerhamer said the suspect was found to be in possession of small amounts of heroin, cocaine, marijuana and methamphetamine.
The man, who told police he fled because he didn't want to go back to prison, was booked into Utah County Jail on suspicion of evading police, speeding, driving while under the influence of drugs or alcohol and drug possession.
The male passenger was released after being treated at the scene for minor injuries.
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