Drunken driver going 84 mph in 35 mph zone arrested, police say
by Pat Reavy ksl · KSL.comPANGUITCH — A driver was arrested Wednesday night and accused of more than doubling the speed limit through a southern Utah town while intoxicated.
Wesley PJ Rice, 31, was booked into the Garfield County Jail for investigation of speeding, DUI, reckless driving, failing to stop for police, driving without registration and failing to yield the right of way.
The Garfield County Sheriff's Office received a report Wednesday evening of a pickup truck with a California license plate driving "reckless" and headed north on U.S. 89. Just before 10 p.m., deputies at 400 E. Center Street in Panguitch spotted the vehicle going 84 mph in a 35 mph zone, according to a police booking affidavit.
"Deputies then initiated their red and blue emergency lights in an attempt to make a traffic stop on the vehicle. The vehicle continued traveling west at a high rate of speed, continuing through the four-way stop without slowing down," the affidavit states.
The pickup continued to speed through residential areas until "ultimately pulling into a farm located at approximately 252 S. 400 East in an attempt to hide from the deputies," according to the affidavit. "Deputies then positioned their patrol vehicles behind the suspect vehicle and called him out."
Rice was placed in handcuffs. Deputies "then conducted a portable breath test, which showed results of .226% (blood-alcohol level)." Another test conducted later at the Garfield County Jail measured his blood-alcohol level at .20%, the affidavit states.
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Pat Reavy
Pat Reavy interned with KSL in 1989 and has been a full-time journalist for either KSL or Deseret News since 1991. For the past 25 years, he has worked primarily the cops and courts beat.