A 29 year old man led Utah Highway Patrol Troopers on a high speed chase on Interstate 80 early Sunday morning. The report stated around 1 a.m. Sunday, troopers received a call from other motorists of a GMC pickup truck driving east in westbound lanes at mile post 138 in Summit County. According to Utah Highway Patrol, the troopers decided to immediately respond by shutting down westbound lanes and setting up spikes to stop the truck.
The driver, identified as Peter Bunker, allegedly crossed back over to eastbound lanes after seeing the road closure. Police continued to pursue Barker, upon which he veered into a troopers vehicle when he saw the spikes. Officials added that the pursuing trooper performed a precision immobilization technique on the truck which ended the automobile chase. The trooper whose car was hit was not injured, although his car was seriously damaged.
After ramming the police car, Bunker continued to elude the authorities by fleeing on foot, wherein he was found 10 minutes later hiding in a canal filled with water. The temperature was 25 degrees outside forcing authorities to transport Bunker to Park City Medical Center for treatment and hypothermia he received due to the cold. Upon leaving the hospital he was booked into Summit County Jail on charges of fleeing and driving under the influence.
Christensen & Hymas is glad that nobody was seriously injured by this incident. We encourage everyone to obey traffic rules and respond positively to authorities.
If you have been hurt or injured in a car accident because of someone’s reckless behavior and negligence, call Christensen & Hymas at (801)-506-0800. We offer free initial consultation and will help evaluate your case for compensation or claims. Know your options now and get relief from hospitalization and other costs.