CEDAR CITY – A 23-year-old woman and a 17-year-old boy were arrested after reportedly racing each other in separate cars at speeds of up to 120 mph on Interstate 15 in Iron County late Sunday night.
According to the probable cause statement filed in support of the adult driver’s arrest, shortly after 11 p.m., a Utah Highway Patrol observed both vehicles pass his stationary patrol vehicle “at an extremely high rate of speed.”
“I pulled out of the median and started to follow the vehicles,” the trooper wrote in the affidavit. “I found that both vehicles had slowed to approximately 95 mph.”
The trooper noted that as he began to catch up to the cars, he noticed that they appeared to be racing each other, taking turns catching and passing the other. At one point, he reportedly measured them going 120 mph.
After following the cars for approximately 9 miles, the trooper activated his emergency lights near mile marker 72, just north of Summit.
“Both vehicles pulled to the right and came to a stop,” the trooper wrote, noting that the two cars were a Volkswagen Jetta and the Toyota Scion, both of which had Utah license plates.
The driver of the Toyota was identified as Deanna Marie Ballough, 23. She was subsequently booked into Iron County Jail on suspicion of engaging in speed contest on a highway, which is a class A misdemeanor if speeds exceed 105 mph. She was also cited for reckless driving, a class B misdemeanor, and driving without insurance, a class C misdemeanor. Ballough was later released from jail after posting an unsecured bond of $750.
Meanwhile, the driver of the Jetta, who wasn’t identified because he is a minor, was released to his parents. He reportedly faces similar charges in 5th District Juvenile Court.
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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