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PRICE — Two men who died in a fiery crash that ended a high-speed police chase Friday had active warrants for their arrests, according to the Carbon County Sheriff's Office.
Guy Nelson Tsosie Jr., 34, was wanted on a warrant issued by a New Mexico judge in a child abuse case, Carbon County Sheriff's Chief Deputy Tom Stefanoff said Tuesday. Taukatelata Solomone Faulua, 25, also had two outstanding warrants in Utah — one issued in a DUI case and the other in an assault case, Stefanoff said.
"Although it is unknown why they elected to flee from police, it could have been because both subjects had warrants for their arrest," the chief deputy said.
Deputies were called to a fight involving five people at a Price restaurant just after 1 a.m. Friday. When the first deputy arrived, a 2005 Dodge Magnum pulled out of the parking lot and drove away, nearly striking the deputy, Stefanoff said.
The deputy, believing the two men in the car might be involved in the fight, turned his patrol car around to chase them, but the Dodge was already out of sight, according to video from a dash-mounted camera in the deputy's car.
Although it is unknown why they elected to flee from police, it could have been because both subjects had warrants for their arrest.
–Chief Deputy Tom Stefanoff, Carbon County Sheriff's Office
A short time later, a Helper police officer spotted the car on U.S. 6 and gave chase after clocking its speed at 120 mph. A second sheriff's deputy joined the pursuit, but both officers quickly lost sight of the Dodge. They did, however, see a cloud of dust near the Poplar Street exit in Helper and went to check it out.
Officers ultimately found the car, which had collided with an unoccupied house after it flew off U.S. 6 at Poplar Street, traveled through heavy brush and trees and drove down the roof of a nearby shed. The car and the house were engulfed in flames.
Investigators have determined that Faulua was driving the car, Stefanoff said. The Utah State Medical Examiner's Office also confirmed that both men died from "blunt force trauma at the moment of impact, prior to the fire," the cheif deputy said.
Faulua, of West Valley City, and Tsosie, of Teec Nos Pos, Arizona, were staying at the Riverside Motel in Helper at the time of their deaths, investigators said. They had been working at a construction site in Price.
State court records show that Faulua had prior convictions for failure to respond at an officer's command to stop, attempted aggravated assault, attempted criminal mischief, attempted theft and DUI.
As for Tsosie, a search of court records in Utah show misdemeanor convictions for possession of alcohol by a minor, consumption of alcohol by a minor and intoxication dating back to 1999.
New Mexico court records show Tsosie was charged in September 2009 with abuse or abandonment of a child and four counts of battery against a household member. The case was still pending at the time of Tsosie's death, and a $20,000 arrest warrant had been outstanding since March 2011 for his failure to appear at a court hearing.
