ST. GEORGE — A former Utah legislator and former Salt Lake County Republican chairman has been found safe after going missing while out running on New Year's Eve.
According to St. George police, Chad Bennion was found safe and healthy Monday after two days hunkering down in his car, which had gotten stuck in an area where he had no cell service. He is now home with his family, St. George police officer Lona Trombley confirmed.
An avid runner who has competed in marathons around the country through the years, Bennion was last seen when he left to go running along a trail about 4 p.m. Saturday, police said.
"He ended up completing his run, returning to his vehicle, and he started to drive home but got lost. While he was trying to find his way home, he ended up getting his vehicle stuck," Trombley said.
The vehicle was stuck to the point that Bennion couldn't free it himself, Trombley said, and he decided to stay in the car overnight. Bennion, "an experienced trail runner and camper," was prepared with supplies, food and water, she said.
Sunday morning Bennion was still unable to get the vehicle out. As he sat in the car, he heard reports on KSL Newsradio that a search for him was underway, so he decided to stay with his vehicle in hopes someone would see it, Trombley said.
"That let him know that people were aware and were looking for him so that he could make the best decision possible to stay safe," Trombley said.
After another night in the vehicle, Bennion attempted to run out of the area Monday morning, finding someone along the way who returned with him to his vehicle and helped pull it out, Trombley said. He then drove home, calling his family as soon as he again had cell service.
Family members had said they had a good idea about where Bennion went running. However, because Bennion enjoys long runs on remote trails, they were concerned about where he could have gone.
Bennion was once a prominent distance runner who ran for Murray High, the University of Utah and the University of Oregon. He placed 14th in the U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials in 1992.
Bennion served in the Utah House of Representatives from 1999 to 2005 and was elected Salt Lake County Republican chairman in 2013. He resigned in March 2014 after domestic violence charges were filed against him and as he was embroiled in controversy for criticizing Salt Lake County District Attorney Sim Gill's investigation into fatal officer-involved shootings.
Bennion ultimately entered a plea in abeyance to a single misdemeanor charge in the domestic violence case while five additional charges were dismissed. The case was dismissed in April 2015 after Bennion completed the requirements of his plea in abeyance, including a court-ordered anger management class, according to court documents.
Contributing: Paul Nelson