12-year-old girl leads police on I-15 car chase

SALT LAKE CITY — A 12-year-old girl led Utah Highway Patrol on a car chase Thursday after she secretly took her mom’s car, according to the Department of Public Safety.

DPS said that at approximately 11:40 p.m., the Salt Lake Communication Center made a reckless driver call, alerting UHP to a car traveling south on Interstate 15 near 2300 North.

A trooper located the car in question, a black Honda Civic, near 3300 South, according to DPS. The car was drifting in and out of the HOV lane and was reported by the trooper to have no lights on. The trooper turned his flashing lights on in an attempt to perform a traffic stop, but the car kept driving.

Multiple troopers in the area responded to help with the slowing traffic behind the Civic. Another trooper set up road spikes on I-15 near 9400 South in an attempt to stop the car.

The car passed the area and the spikes were deployed, but it was not clear whether the attempt was successful at deflating the tires because the car kept driving. Surrounding troopers then performed a “pursuit intervention technique” — often called a PIT maneuver — with patrol vehicles and were able to stop the car at 10400 South.

The stop was made approximately 21 miles from where driver was originally reported, and approximately nine miles from where the car was located by troopers.

DPS said the car had been traveling at 54 mph when it was initially located, and that during the pursuit, the Civic’s speed peaked at 70 mph.

The driver was identified as the 12-year-old girl who was then taken to the Murray UHP office and later returned to her parents. DPS said the girl’s charges will be screened through juvenile court.