ST. GEORGE — A driver allegedly fled from an injury crash in St. George Tuesday evening, only to be found inside a fast-food restaurant bleeding from the face.
On Tuesday, officers responded to the 2300 block of West Red Cliffs Drive to assist in the search for a driver suspected in a hit-and-run crash that took place in St. George earlier that evening.
Washington City Police Chief Jason Williams told St. George News that officers from Washington City responded to St. George to assist in finding the driver.
The driver was seen carrying a backpack as he reportedly ran from the scene immediately after the crash, and was described as wearing a pair of black shorts and a black T-shirt.
Officers located a man matching the description of the driver who was eating at a table at Taco Bell on Red Cliffs Drive, a short distance from where the collision took place. He was talking to a firefighter.
He initially told officers he was not involved in any crash, which caused the officer to become suspicious since the man was bleeding from a facial wound at the time.
The suspect, identified as Jordan Von Lane, was detained and once outside, officers gathered up his things and while placing his laptop in the backpack, they noticed a clear glass pipe that was commonly used to smoke narcotics.
Through a background check officers discovered several warrants for his arrest, which is when they searched the backpack and reportedly found a clear baggie containing suspected methamphetamine.
While speaking with police, Lane said he was driving the vehicle at the time of the crash, but said “he left because he was hungry and needed to pee,” the officer noted in the report.
Lane was transported to St. George Regional Hospital to be treated for any injuries, and once medically cleared, he was booked into Purgatory Correctional Facility shortly after 10 p.m. facing multiple charges, including third-degree felony possession of a controlled substance. He also faces four misdemeanor counts relating to the hit and run, the drug paraphernalia and the active warrants.
Ed. Note: A new Utah law generally prohibits the release of arrest booking photos until after a conviction is obtained.
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.
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