A Salt Lake County man was hospitalized Wednesday morning following a 20-minute car chase at speeds nearing 100 mph.
Sheriff's Lt. Dan Ipson said the 32-year-old man, whose identity was not released, suffered minor injuries when a deputy rammed his car into the side of the man's small car.Cpl. Scott Miller rammed the car intentionally after it had made a U-turn on I-80 about 12 miles west of Tooele.
The chase began following a 6:10 a.m. theft of gasoline at a convenience store near Seventh East and 33rd South. A clerk left the store, spotted a deputy and had the deputy pursue the small car fleeing the store.
The deputy pursued the car, which entered I-80 and headed west, then north on I-15 then west on 21st South. About a dozen other police cars became involved in the chase.
The man's car was pulled over on I-80 between the Tooele and Grantsville exits at 6:42 a.m. and tried to turn around to head into oncoming traffic. That's when Miller decided to end the chase, ramming the car, Ipson said.