PAROWAN — A man was arrested Wednesday evening after he allegedly pointed a gun at another driver before causing a minor collision on Interstate 15.
The incident, which occurred at approximately 4:20 p.m., reportedly involved a Nissan Rogue SUV and a semitractor-trailer, both heading southbound on I-15 near Parowan.
“The driver of the Nissan stated the semitractor pulled out in front of him to pass another semitractor and cut him off. This upset the Nissan driver,” Utah Highway Patrol Lt. Clay Allred told Cedar City News.
After the semi had passed, it reportedly moved back into the right lane, upon which the SUV’s driver began passing it.
“As the SUV was passing the semi, the driver of the SUV allegedly aimed a pistol at the driver of the semi truck,” states the charging document filed Wednesday evening in support of the SUV driver’s arrest.
Once the SUV driver had passed the semi, he allegedly pulled in front of it and “brake checked” it a couple of times, the affidavit states, adding that the semi’s driver could not stop quickly enough to avoid hitting the Nissan’s rear end.
Following the collision, both vehicles pulled over to the right side of the road near mile marker 74, slightly south of Parowan’s south exit. UHP troopers were dispatched to the scene following reports of a property damage collision involving a firearm.
After questioning both drivers and conducting further investigation, troopers arrested the SUV driver, Kerry Don Kennedy, 50. He was later booked into Iron County Jail on suspicion of aggravated assault, a third-degree felony, and unsafe lane travel, an infraction.
He initially denied displaying a firearm, the probable cause statement states.
“I read him his rights and the driver of the SUV admitted to everything except the firearm,” the affidavit states. “He stated he only pointed his finger at the driver of the semi.”
Kennedy later admitted he had a pistol inside a backpack on his back seat.
“I asked for consent to only search the backpack and he agreed,” the arresting trooper wrote, adding, “I searched the backpack in front of him and located a Glock 26 9 mm with a silver barrel. It matched the description of the firearm that the semi truck driver observed.”
The right lane closure impacted Southbound I-15 traffic for nearly an hour while multiple UHP troopers conducted the investigation. Officers from the Parowan and Enoch police departments assisted.
The scene was cleared and the interstate was fully reopened by approximately 5:30 p.m., UHP reported.
No injuries were reported.
This report is based on statements from court documents and law enforcement officials 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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