CEDAR CITY — A driver was arrested after leading officers on a short pursuit in an allegedly stolen car along Interstate 15 in Iron County late Friday morning.
Utah Highway Patrol Lt. Randy Riches said the incident began with a report of a hit-and-run collision near mile marker 70 on southbound I-15 a few miles north of Cedar City.
“One of our troopers located the vehicle traveling southbound at about milepost 63 and attempted to make a traffic stop,” Riches told Cedar City News. “The driver of the vehicle fled and the trooper initiated a pursuit.”
Riches said the pursuit ended a few minutes later near mile marker 54 when the pursuing trooper was able to successfully execute a PIT (Precision Immobilization Technique) maneuver using his patrol vehicle.
“As they were working to get resources in place to intercept the vehicle, the trooper had an opportunity to execute a PIT maneuver,” Riches said. “He did that successfully and got the car stopped.”
The tactical move caused the suspect vehicle, a light silver Toyota Corolla, to spin out and crash into the barrier lining the center median.
Riches said that almost immediately after the vehicle came to a stop, officers were able to take the man into custody without further incident. No injuries were reported. The driver was the only occupant of the car, Riches added.
Traffic on southbound I-15 was moderately impacted for at least 30 minutes while the scene was cleared, with vehicles slowing and/or backed up for a mile or so. Assisting the Utah Highway Patrol were officers from Cedar City Police Department and Iron County Sheriff’s Office.
“It turns out that the vehicle is stolen,” Riches added. “There’s also stolen property inside the vehicle. So they’re going to continue the investigation to figure out where the property was stolen from and try to figure out who it belongs to and see what charges are applicable.”
Later Friday afternoon, the man who was driving the Corolla was identified by Iron County Jail records as Anthony Drage. He was booked into jail on suspicion of multiple charges, including possession of a stolen vehicle, reckless driving, failing to stop at command of police, failing to remain at the scene of an accident, driving without a valid license and possession of drugs and paraphernalia.
This report is based on preliminary statements from 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.
Photo Gallery
Law enforcement officers at the scene of a traffic stop involving a PIT maneuver on Interstate 15 near Cedar City, Utah, March 31, 2023 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News / Cedar City News Law enforcement officers at the scene of a traffic stop involving a PIT maneuver on Interstate 15 near Cedar City, Utah, March 31, 2023 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News / Cedar City News Law enforcement officers at the scene of a traffic stop involving a PIT maneuver on Interstate 15 near Cedar City, Utah, March 31, 2023 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News / Cedar City News Law enforcement officers at the scene of a traffic stop involving a PIT maneuver on Interstate 15 near Cedar City, Utah, March 31, 2023 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News / Cedar City News Law enforcement officers at the scene of a traffic stop involving a PIT maneuver on Interstate 15 near Cedar City, Utah, March 31, 2023 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News / Cedar City News
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