Woman abandons car during police chase and had bystander take her home, police say

FARMINGTON — A suspected intoxicated driver is accused of evading police by asking a bystander to take her home after she left her car in a parking lot.

Delanna Molly Jane Brock-Murray, 28, was booked into the Davis County Jail on suspicion of failure to respond to officers’ signal to stop, a third-degree felony, and misdemeanor charges of reckless driving, failing to comply with duties in a vehicle accident, driving under the influence, and ignition interlock violation, according to the police affidavit.

On Thursday at approximately 11:28 a.m., a Farmington police officer was trying to stop a vehicle for speeding on northbound Interstate 15 near Shepard Lane.

During the attempted traffic stop, the officer noticed a gray Toyota Sienna minivan crossing the double-white lines into an HOV lane and then back into another lane. The officer reported that the Toyota then crossed multiple lanes to get to the far right lane.

According to the affidavit, the officer abandoned their traffic stop and focused on the Toyota since it was driving recklessly.

After getting behind the Toyota, “the vehicle changed multiple lanes to the left and sped up to get away,” the affidavit stated. The officer pursued the driver, who “continued to increase its speed and drive around other vehicles in an attempt to flee.”

The Toyota took the 200 North off-ramp in Kaysville, turned westbound on 200 North, struck another car, and fled the scene of the crash, according to the affidavit.

Eventually, other police agencies found the Toyota abandoned in a church parking lot.

“A witness came forward and stated that he gave a ride to a woman who pulled into the church’s parking lot in the same minivan,” the affidavit stated. “The woman stated she needed a ride to her home in Clearfield.”

With the help of the witness, Davis County Sheriff’s deputies were allowed into the suspected Toyota driver’s apartment, where they found Brock-Murray and detained her.

“During a search of her person, keys to the Toyota were found in the suspect’s pocket. The keys were brought to the vehicle and confirmed that they started it,” the affidavit stated.

During an interview with police, Brock-Murray continually stated that she was not the driver of the Toyota.

According to the affidavit, when asked about what happened during the crash, Brock-Murray “stated that she ‘turned the vehicle’ and then quickly corrected herself, stating that another party was driving.”

Brock-Murray also told police that there were “multiple people in the car” but would not say who was with her, the affidavit stated.

Police asked Brock-Murray to perform standardized field sobriety tests, which she agreed to. Officers reported multiple clues of Brock-Murray being under the influence.

According to the affidavit, Brock-Murray’s vehicle is supposed to have an interlock device, which the Toyota did not.