CEDAR CITY — A woman was arrested on Saturday afternoon after leading police officers on a high-speed car chase that went through Cedar City streets and ended up on Interstate 15.
Melinda B. Smith, 42, of St. George, was booked into Iron County Jail following the incident, which began with an initial report of a vehicle that had been driving against oncoming traffic on I-15, according to a probable cause statement filed in support of Smith’s arrest.
“She then was called in for driving erratically at Canyon View Middle School,” the statement alleges, adding that officers were able to locate the vehicle at 1045 North near Coal Creek Road in the northern part of Cedar City.
The driver allegedly refused to stop, instead leading police on a pursuit that reportedly hit speeds of 80 mph on city streets, the charging documents state.
After getting on southbound I-15, the driver allegedly reached speeds of in excess of 100 mph, almost running other cars off the roadway.
“She was spiked twice and only (came) to a stop after she lost both front tires,” the arresting officer wrote in the probable cause statement.
As the police conducted a felony stop near mile marker 54, the woman reportedly exited the vehicle while on the freeway and ran at the officers, who took her to the ground and put her in handcuffs.
Due to Smith’s erratic behavior, officers suspected her to have been under the influence of a controlled substance, the statement said.
Officers also found an empty bottle of mouthwash near the driver’s seat of the vehicle.
Smith, who reportedly had multiple outstanding warrants, was booked into Iron County Jail shortly after 3 p.m. Saturday. She faces several potential new charges, including failure to stop at command of police, a third-degree felony, plus class B misdemeanor counts of DUI, reckless driving and resisting arrest, in addition to driving on a suspended license, an infraction.
This report is based on statements from court documents and law enforcement officials and may not contain the full scope of findings. Persons arrested or charged are presumed innocent until found guilty in a court of law or as otherwise decided by a trier-of-fact.
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