CEDAR CITY — Police arrested a man who crashed his car Tuesday night on state Route 56 west of Cedar City and then fled into the nearby hills.
According to Iron County Jail records, Alex Foreman, 25, was booked into jail just before 3 a.m. Wednesday on suspicion of driving under the influence, leaving the scene of a damage-only accident, refusing to provide information and making an unsafe lane change.
The incident began when responders were dispatched to the scene of a crash about 15 miles west of Cedar City just after 8 p.m. Tuesday. They found a heavily damaged blue passenger car on the north side of the road amid trees and rocks. The vehicle was unoccupied and the driver was missing, police said.
Utah Highway Patrol Lt. Randy Riches told Cedar City News that investigators believe the man lost control of the vehicle and spun off the road.
“When he realized police were responding, he fled the scene,” Riches said. “He was located and apprehended in a residential area.”
Riches said driver impairment is being investigated as a factor in the crash, in addition to being the reason for his leaving the scene.
UHP said one witness is believed to have seen the crash happen, but that person left before officers arrived.
In addition to a Utah Highway Patrol trooper, deputies from Iron County Sheriff’s Office responded to the scene, along with Gold Cross Ambulance personnel.
Despite the significant damage to the vehicle, the driver reportedly sustained only superficial injuries. Once he was cleared medically and processed for DUI, he was taken to jail, UHP officials said.
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