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SALT LAKE CITY — A man was arrested for investigation of DUI Thursday after police say he drove his car into a brush area, causing the brush and then the vehicle to catch fire in Parleys Canyon.
Nicholas Rojas, 33, of Las Vegas, was driving up Parleys Way from the Foothill area when his vehicle left the road and got stuck around 12:30 a.m. Thursday.
"It appeared the vehicle left the road, not out of control, just drove off the road into what we call the Gore Area, or where all the grass and weeds are, to a point where he finally got stuck," said Utah Highway Patrol Sgt. Blaine Robbins.
Other drivers in the area found a man in the car. The gas pedal was "floored," the wheels were spinning and the vehicle was stuck, Robbins said. Either the spinning wheels or the hot engine caused the brush near the car to catch on fire. Witnesses let Rojas know about the fire, and he stepped out before the flames reached the vehicle.
Rojas was uninjured and was able to answer questions from troopers, but "he just seemed a little off," Robbins said. After field sobriety tests, Rojas was arrested for investigation of DUI.
Contributing: Shara Park
