Law enforcement officers were searching Saturday morning for an Arizona man they say led troopers on a high-speed chase through Juab County before crashing and disappearing on foot, prompting a shelter-in-place order for nearby residents.
A Utah Highway Patrol trooper attempted to stop a motorist around 2:40 a.m. as he drove north on Interstate 15 near Nephi, according to the Utah Department of Public Safety. Instead of pulling over, authorities say, the man sped away, reaching speeds of more than 100 mph.
UHP identified the driver as a 38-year-old man from Arizona. The Salt Lake Tribune generally does not name people suspected of a crime until they have been formally charged.
The pursuit ended near milepost 236 when police deployed spike strips, causing the man to crash into the center median, authorities said. He then fled on foot and, as of 11:30 a.m. Saturday, remained at large.
During the pursuit, the public safety department said the man called 911 and “threatened” to use a firearm against officers.
Because of that, the Juab County Sheriff’s Office put out a shelter-in-place order early Saturday morning that was lifted at about 7:30 a.m., the Nephi City Police Department wrote on Facebook.
The Utah Department of Public Safety identified the man as a known “fugitive gang member,” and is considered “armed and dangerous.”

Samantha Moilanen