SANTAQUIN — A freeway chase ended Tuesday when tires were spiked after a Provo man tried to evade police. He is now behind bars.

Officers received calls about a man driving down Main Street on the wrong side of the road, and instead of pulling over when police found the erratic driver, the man took off, driving up to 70 miles per hour northbound on I-15, said Santaquin Police Sgt. Rodney Hurst.

The driver later told police he was hoping to evade them by using four-wheel drive once he got off the freeway, but Payson police managed to spike his tires near the Benjamin exit off I-15 between Payson and Spanish Fork, Hurst said.

The driver, David Rittenhouse, has three previous arrests for driving under the influence and was found this time with an open container, according to Hurst. He also allegedly had taken prescription drugs.

He was booked into the Utah County Jail for investigation of failure to stop, DUI, being an alcohol-restricted driver and multiple other citations.

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— Lana Groves

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