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SOUTH OGDEN — One man was hospitalized and another is behind bars after citizens took the law into their own hands Sunday night.
Westbound drivers out of Weber Canyon on I-84 saw a Dodge pickup "driving in a reckless manner" around 9 p.m. Sunday, according to Utah Highway Patrol Sgt. Brandon Whitehead.
The pickup almost hit several other cars before three or four vehicles surrounded the pickup, engaged in "a little bit of cat-and-mouse back and forth with different cars brake-checking each other," and caused the pickup driver to come to a stop, Whitehead said.
Police are unsure of the motives of the pickup driver or other drivers, but "if it was a road rage, (the pickup driver) was kind of the predominant primary aggressor, if you will," according to Whitehead.
Using footage from a cellphone and witness statements, police have tried to piece together details of the incident, according to Utah Highway Patrol Lt. Chris Simmons.
Once the cars were stopped, one man got out of his car and told the pickup driver to turn off his car and pull over. Early reports from police indicated that the man "started banging on the (pickup's) passenger side front window with enough tenacity that it shattered the window," according to Whitehead. By Monday morning, Highway Patrol investigators were attempting to piece together the details of this sequence.
At that point, the driver of the truck reversed and maneuvered his truck around the parked cars, causing the man standing at the window to fall back and hit his head on the concrete, which knocked him out, witnesses told police. The driver then pulled forward, driving over the man's foot.
The man at the window broke his foot and sustained head injuries. He was treated at a local hospital.
Witnesses told police that the pickup driver fled the scene and reached speeds of 100 mph. Citizens followed the man, calling 911 and updating his location. The pickup got off the freeway on the Riverdale Road exit and continued driving at fast speeds before being stopped by South Ogden police without incident.
The man told police that he fled because he feared for his life, Simmons said.
The driver of the pickup is from Wyoming and was booked in the Weber County Jail on investigation of leaving the scene of an accident, reckless driving and simple assault.
Police have had a "limited investigation" with the man who broke the window because he was receiving medical treatment for his injuries overnight. He will likely not face charges in this matter, Simmons said.
Although it is legal for citizens to intervene to prevent harm from coming to themselves or others, it rarely turns out well for the citizen, according to Whitehead.
"If you encounter a situation like this on the roadway, the best thing to do is let cooler heads prevail. Just slow down and let the other car go. As soon as you engage them, these situations always escalate," he said. "If that doesn't work, pull over to the shoulder and stop. If that doesn't work, get on you cellphone and dial 911."
Those who run across aggressive drivers should wait for police to arrive instead of taking matters into their own hands, according to police. Officers in the Wasatch Front area are usually on scene within two to five minutes.
"One of the worst things you can do, and this situation bears it out, is get out and confront that person," Whitehead said. "It's very fortunate that this didn't end up worse."
More information will be provided as it becomes available.
