120-mph pursuit in Southern Utah ends when woman crashes Camaro into tree, police say

Camaro crashes into tree during pursuit with police on state Route 89 in Kane County, Utah, Oct. 23, 2022 | Photo courtesy of the Kane County Sheriff's Office, St. George News

ST. GEORGE — A crash on a Southern Utah highway resulted in an arrest after police allegedly found narcotics in a woman’s vehicle.

Suspected narcotics, a handgun, paraphernalia and other items were recovered from Camaro following pursuit in Kane County, Utah, Oct. 23, 2022 | Photo courtesy of the Kane County Sheriff’s Office, St. George News

The arrest stems from an incident that took place Sunday on state Route 89 east of Kanab shortly after 11 a.m., when a Kane County Sheriff’s deputy initially encountered a black Jeep heading down the highway at more than 100 mph, according to a statement issued Monday by Lt. Alan Alldredge with the Kane County Sheriff’s Office.

As the deputy was making a U-turn to catch up to the Jeep, a second vehicle, a silver Chevrolet Camaro, passed by at more than 100 mph in the same direction as the Jeep, the news release states.

The deputy activated his emergency lights and caught up to both vehicles that continued north toward Kanab, authorities said, adding the two suspects were “driving recklessly, speeding and passing on double yellow lines.”

When the deputy called for backup, a Kanab City Police officer responded to assist and both followed behind what appeared to be two fleeing vehicles.

Minutes later, the Jeep pulled over and stopped for police, while the Camaro reportedly continued north and veered into oncoming traffic, where it nearly struck a deputy’s patrol vehicle head-on while racing toward Kanab at more than 120 mph, according to the news release.

Once in Kanab, the driver of the Camaro reportedly continued through a number of residential streets and headed into the Cottonwood area before turning back toward SR-89 and heading north along the highway.

While deputies prepared to deploy spike strips along the highway just north of Kanab to disable the vehicle, the two officers originally involved in the chase continued following the Camaro that was veering into oncoming traffic to pass other northbound vehicles, charging documents say.

The spike strips were deployed but unsuccessful in stopping the Camaro, the release states, and the car continued along SR-89 before cresting a hill near milepost 75, which is when deputies lost sight of it.

Just as the officers came over the same hill, they saw the Camaro off in the distance that appeared to have veered off the north shoulder and then crashed into a cedar tree.

Authorities say the woman driving the Camaro already had exited the wrecked vehicle and was attempting to flee just as officers were pulling up to the scene, and she was taken into custody at gunpoint shortly thereafter.

The driver was identified as an Idaho woman, 42-year-old Devnee Petefish, who was transported to Kane County Hospital to be treated for injuries sustained in the crash, while deputies back at the scene conducted a search of her vehicle.

During the search, deputies say they recovered a .357 revolver, along with more than 4 pounds of suspected methamphetamine and nearly 925 fentanyl pills, as well as cash, paraphernalia and other drug-related items that were collected as evidence.

Once medically cleared, Petefish was transported to the Kane County Jail and was booked into custody facing multiple charges – including “the many traffic violations she had committed” during the pursuit, police allege.

During an interview with police, Petefish said she ran from police because she had a warrant for her arrest that was issued out of Idaho, according to charging documents filed with the court.

File photo of the Kane County Public Safety Complex | Courtesy of Kane County Facebook page, St. George News

A records check revealed three active warrants for the suspect’s arrest, including two out of Idaho and a third issued out of Arizona – all of which were full extradition warrants that were filed in connection with cases involving “dangerous drugs”  and notations indicating the suspect is known to have “violent tendencies,” according to court documents.

The background check also revealed that Petefish was on felony probation at the time of the incident, as well as multiple cases involving violent crimes filed out of state. In fact, Petefish was out on pretrial release on another out-of-state felony case that is still pending in the courts.

On Sunday, Petefish was booked into jail facing three second-degree felony charges, including two counts of possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance and one count of possession of a dangerous weapon by a restricted person. She also faces one count of failing to stop at an officer’s signal, along with one count of possession of a controlled substance and a dangerous weapon by a restricted person – each a third-degree felony.

She also faces multiple misdemeanor charges, including interfering with an arresting officer, reckless endangerment, DUI, reckless driving, and possession of open alcohol container, as well as traffic infractions.

Petefish is also being held on a fugitive warrant and remains in custody without bail.

Deputies also determined that the Jeep was not involved with the Camaro, and instead was “in the wrong place – wrong time,” so the driver was cited for a number of traffic violations.

This report is based on statements from court records, police or other responders 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.

Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2022, all rights reserved.

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