ST. GEORGE — A driver was arrested Saturday after leading a multi-agency pursuit that ended after he drove over a spike strip and fled the vehicle on foot.
On Saturday, a Utah Highway Patrol trooper was heading north on Interstate 15 when his license plate reader alerted him of a northbound stolen pickup truck traveling in close proximity, according to charging documents filed with the court.
After running a check of the license plate and confirming the pickup was stolen, the trooper pulled off the interstate in preparation for the truck to pass. A minute or so later, he noticed a vehicle matching the description of the stolen truck and attempted to stop the vehicle just south of Beaver City.
The driver pulled off the interstate and stopped on the shoulder but then sped away before the trooper could exit his patrol vehicle. Less than 3 miles north of the first attempt, the pickup driver pulled over for a second time, but when the trooper started to approach with his weapon drawn, the suspect sped off at a high rate of speed, according to the report.
The suspect continued north at more than 100 mph, swerving between multiple lanes and crossing over into the median to pass other motorists, the trooper notes. As the chase continued, the suspect exited and re-entered the interstate multiple times, blowing through stop signs as he did so.
With officers in tow, the suspect exited I-15 and headed east on Interstate 70, where officers set up spike strips at various locations to slow the pursuit but were unsuccessful. That is until the pickup entered Sevier County, where a set of spikes punctured the driver’s side rear tire. He then exited the interstate near mile marker 25, and while the engine was still running, the suspect took off on foot with the truck still in drive.
The pickup rolled down the road, where it struck a concrete street sign and came to rest.
Following a short foot chase with police, the driver was taken into custody and later identified as 19-year-old David Isak Amaya, of Denver, Colorado. He was transported to the Beaver County Jail and interviewed by police.
Amaya reportedly told officers he had flown to California to pick up the truck at the request of a friend who had asked him to drive it back to Denver. He said soon after arriving in California, he began to suspect the truck may have been stolen when he noticed the truck’s rear driver’s side window was smashed and he was given what appeared to be a newly-programmed key fob to start the vehicle.
“However, he decided to drive it back to Denver anyways,” the trooper noted in the report.
Amaya faces two second-degree felony charges that include one count of receiving a stolen vehicle and one count of destruction of property, a third-degree felony of failing to respond to an officer’s signal to stop, and one misdemeanor count each of reckless driving and failing to stop at the command of law enforcement.
The trooper requested that Amaya be held without bail. Citing the seriousness of the charges and his having no ties to Utah, authorities said they had reason to believe Amaya would likely flee the court’s jurisdiction if released. The request was approved, and Amaya remains in custody without bail. The case is under review by the Beaver County Attorney’s Office.
This report is based on statements from court records, police or other responders 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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