By Ben Winslow
Deseret News
BOUNTIFUL, Utah — A North Salt Lake police officer is undergoing surgery after crashing his car on wet roads here during a high speed chase.
It happened about 4 a.m. Monday when police said a Bountiful police officer was on patrol, driving through the parking lot a Smith’s grocery store at 2399 S. Main.
“He sees a guy in a vehicle acting suspicious,” Bountiful Police Lt. Randy Pickett said. “He ran the plate and it said the car was stolen out of Salt Lake County.”
As the officer was waiting for backup, the suspect took off and led police on a chase on I-15. Police from North Salt Lake, Woods Cross and other agencies joined in. As they approached U.S. 89 and 2300 South in Bountiful, Pickett said the North Salt Lake officer lost control of his police cruiser on wet roads from recent rain storms.
“He hit a really big sign with a cement base. He hit that concrete base. He hit that and hit it hard,” Pickett said. “I don’t know how fast they were going but it was high speeds.”
The officer was flown to Intermountain Medical Center in Murray where he is undergoing surgery with severe brain injuries.
“Right now they’re just trying to keep him alive,” Pickett said.
The chase continued on I-15 to about 900 West in Salt Lake City, where the suspect rolled the car he was in. He was taken to University Hospital where he is being treated for non-life threatening injuries, police said.
North Salt Lake police refused to comment on the chase and declined to release the name of the officer. The suspect in the chase was identified as William Fisher, 30, who had three warrants for his arrest involving stolen vehicles and property.
Bountiful police said they would turn Fisher over to state corrections officials once he is released from the hospital. Fisher is on probation, Pickett said.
Copyright 2008 Deseret News