This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2014, and information in the article may be outdated.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.
Investigators suspect a man's medical condition may have sparked a highway chase through Utah County.
Troopers are not disclosing what may have been ailing the driver. The driver, a man in his early 60s, was driving south on Interstate 15 Monday afternoon when he struck another vehicle with his gold BMW sport utility vehicle, said Utah Highway Patrol Lt. Rich Christensen. He kept going and struck another vehicle near Lindon, Christensen said.
Both crashes only caused minor damage.
About 4:30 p.m., a trooper found the driver near Orem and tried to stop him, but the driver kept going. The trooper called for back-up and a pursuit began, with speeds ranging from 40 to 80 mph, Christensen said. The lieutenant added that the BMW driver could not maintain a lane.
Troopers spiked his tires near the Benjamin exit — but the driver kept going for another 2 to 2.5 miles, until a trooper used a PIT maneuver on the BMW and ended the chase near Payson, at about 4:52 p.m.
The driver was taken to Mountain View Hospital as a precaution, Christensen said. Though they suspect a medical condition might be to blame, they are still investigating.
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