Springville man dies after road rage incident in Spanish Fork
SPANISH FORK, Utah (ABC4) — A 27-year-old man from Springville, Utah has died after being involved in a road rage incident near Highway 6 in Spanish Fork, police said.
The man, who has not been identified, reportedly died after fleeing from responding police and crashing into a large tree in the front yard of a home.
Lt. Cory Slaymaker with the Spanish Fork Police Department said the incident started just after 2 a.m. on Friday, April 26 near 800 North and Highway 6. The victim called the police saying they were stopped at a traffic light when another driver pulled up alongside him and was “staring at him.”
The victim reportedly continued to drive eastbound on Highway 6 toward 2550 East when the suspect allegedly began following him and ramming into his car. Slaymaker said the victim attempted to evade the suspect by turning off Highway 6 toward Canyon Road but the suspect continued to follow and ram the victim.
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When first responders arrived, Slaymaker said they attempted to pull the suspect over to no avail.
“The suspect vehicle fled northbound on 400 East at a high rate of speed,” Slaymaker said in a press release. “The Spanish Fork Officer could not keep up with the suspect and lost sight.”
The officer reportedly continued down the path where he last saw the suspect, finding his car where it had collided with the large tree. First responders, including EMS personnel, performed life-saving measures on the driver but he was declared dead on the scene.
Slaymaker said the Spanish Fork Police Department activated the Officer Involved Critical Incident Protocol as a result of the incident. The Utah County Sheriff’s Office is conducting an investigation.
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