Police: Spanish Fork road rage suspect dies after fleeing from officer, crashing into tree

SPANISH FORK — A 27-year-old Springville man died early Friday morning after police say he crashed into a large tree in a Spanish Fork yard.

The Spanish Fork Police Department said officers were dispatched to a road rage incident that started at the intersection of 800 North and U.S. Highway 6 around 2:15 a.m. Friday. The victim reported a vehicle pulled alongside him and the driver was staring at him. As the victim continued on U.S. 6, the suspect followed him. At some point, the suspect began to ram the victim’s vehicle.

Police said the victim turned onto Canyon Road as the suspect continued to follow him and attempted to ram victim’s car.

An officer saw the suspect’s vehicle near 600 E. Canyon Road and attempted a traffic stop a few blocks later. Police said the suspect fled the scene “at a high rate of speed,”  and the officer lost sight of the vehicle.

The officer continued to the area of 400 North and 400 East, where he had last seen the vehicle. He located the vehicle one block north, where it had crashed into a large tree in the front yard of a Spanish Fork residence.

First responders attempted life-saving measures but the driver was pronounced dead at the scene. Police have not released the victim’s name.

“We all need to do better at controlling our emotions and reducing the amount of road rage incidents that are occurring. They are senseless. Good things don’t come from them, bad things happen,” said Lt. Cory Slaymaker of the Spanish Fork Police Department.

Spanish Fork police contacted the Utah County Officer-Involved Critical Incident team. which will lead an investigation into the crash.