SALT LAKE CITY — Portions of westbound I-80 were closed Wednesday evening after police chased down a man they say stole a woman's car.
About 4 p.m., West Valley police received word of a carjacking at 3192 S. 1855 West. A woman had pulled into the driveway of the home when a Hispanic man drove up in his vehicle, approached her, held an object underneath his T-shirt that appeared to be a handgun and demanded her car. The man took her car and left, according to West Valley Police Lt. Matt Elson.
"She just handed over the car and called us, which is exactly what she should do. There's no point in putting your safety into jeopardy over a vehicle," Elson said.
A forensic team found that the car the man had left had been reported stolen Sunday. Other police agencies in the Salt Lake Valley were then advised of an "attempt to locate" with a description of the vehicle taken from the woman, Elson said.
A Salt Lake police officer located the vehicle near 400 South and 900 West, but the driver fled when police attempted to make a traffic stop.
The vehicle was later spotted with a flat tire of unknown cause near 400 South and 400 West. Salt Lake police initiated a chase, which led onto I-15 and then westbound I-80. Speeds reached about 60 mph, and the driver attempted to clip an officer's vehicle but missed, Salt Lake Police Lt. Eddie Cameron said.
Officers successfully performed a PIT maneuver to stop the vehicle, bumping its back bumper and causing it to spin out near 1500 West. As the stolen vehicle came to a stop, the driver stuck his hands out the window, and officers immediately took him into custody.
"That's not normal procedure, as we'd try to call him out of the car," Cameron said. "At that time, they felt like this is our best chance. … We can go up and take him into custody and not wait and let him think about what he wants to do or retrieve his gun and have him get hurt or possibly somebody else."
The man was identified as David Montoya, 19. After complaining of a neck injury, Montoya was taken to a local hospital. He was expected to be booked into the Salt Lake County Jail later Wednesday, according to police.
Montoya has "a history of involvements" with police, Elson said.
Westbound I-80 was closed from I-15 to Redwood Road while police investigated the chase. Police found no drugs or alcohol with the stolen vehicle.
Elson said West Valley police were grateful to Salt Lake officers for their assistance.
"We have a really good working relationship with the Salt Lake City Police Department, and we're very thankful they were able to catch this guy," Elson said. "Anybody who's going to take personal property of another using a gun is somebody that we don't want on the streets."
Email: mjacobsen@deseretnews.com