Two Utah wrong-way drivers caught on dash cam footage 24 hours apart
Dec 13, 2023, 9:03 PM | Updated: Dec 14, 2023, 7:55 am
SALT LAKE CITY — The Utah Department of Public Safety released two videos on Wednesday evening showing two wrong-way drivers, both impaired, and both intercepted by law enforcement vehicles.
The incidents took place approximately 24 hours apart.
Collision in Park City
The first collision occurred on Dec. 10 on U.S. Highway 40 in Park City. Early that morning, Summit County law enforcement was called about a wrong-way driver traveling east on the highway.
A deputy spotted the vehicle shortly after and determined that the vehicle needed to be stopped immediately.
The deputy interfered with the driver by approaching it and angling slightly to the passenger side of the police car. No injuries were immediately recorded upon impact.
The driver was later confirmed to be impaired during the event.
Collision in Ogden
Approximately 24 hours later, another collision took place in Ogden with a law enforcement vehicle and a car that was traveling on Interstate 15.
The car had been traveling over 100 mph and police described the driver in court documents as “highly intoxicated.”
The driver, identified later as 24-year-old Guillermo Velazquez, fled the officer’s efforts to pull him over. He proceeded to exit the freeway and re-enter the highway on a ramp.
The officer intercepted Velazquez’s vehicle on the northbound ramp near 31st Street.
Sgt. Cam Roden with Utah Highway Patrol spoke with KSL TV Wednesday, urging Utahns to make good decisions this holiday season and to stay sober behind the wheel.
“Both of those situations could have ended much worse,” he said. “Not for a crash that could have happened, but for the officers as well.”
Roden said that on Thursday morning, UHP will be kicking off a nationwide campaign targeting impaired driving, meaning more troopers will be out on the road looking for bad driving behavior.
