Parents flee Utah police at 100 mph with their 5-month-old in vehicle, authorities say

Following a chase that reached speeds of 100 mph, Utah Highway Patrol officers discovered a couple with a 5-month-old baby inside the vehicle, authorities said.

The pursuit began on the morning of Monday, March 14, on Interstate 15 near St. George when a trooper tried to stop a vehicle for an expired registration, KSTU reported.

The officer could only see a man behind the wheel of the vehicle, which had tinted windows, the Utah Highway Patrol told McClatchy News.

The vehicle sped off, and the officer broke off his pursuit when it exited the highway, the agency said. About 30 minutes later troopers spotted the vehicle back on Interstate 15.

They tried to stop the vehicle with a spike strip but failed, the agency said. Cedar City police tracked the vehicle through the city, then Utah Highway Patrol officers tried to stop it again.

The driver took off at speeds up to 100 mph, troopers said. Officers deployed a spike strip and deflated two of the vehicle’s tires, forcing it to a halt in the median.

Officers found a man, woman and their 5-month-old baby in the vehicle, the agency said. The baby was properly restrained in a child seat.

The driver told officers he fled because of an expired registration, no insurance, personal-use marijuana and a warrant for his arrest, the Utah Highway Patrol said.

The man faces charges including reckless endangerment, reckless driving, failure to stop at the command of police and drug possession, KSTU reported. The woman faces a charge of reckless endangerment.

This story was originally published March 16, 2022 at 1:08 PM with the headline "Parents flee Utah police at 100 mph with their 5-month-old in vehicle, authorities say."