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Whit Johnson reportingWe are learning more about the man involved in a bizarre police chase over the weekend that turned deadly. Highway patrol troopers say Douglas E. Cottrell deliberately crashed his car into a semi truck in Parley's Canyon yesterday evening.
After talking to detectives and former friends of his, we're starting to get a better idea of who Cottrell was. But the question of why he would he lead authorities on such a dangerous chase remains to be answered.
Much of the chase was caught on traffic cameras. Among other things, Cottrell struck a deputy's patrol vehicle, crossed the median several times, and was eventually killed when he collided with an ethanol truck driving in an oncoming lane.
This all started when the Summit County Sheriff's Office tried to pulled him over after receiving a report of fraud. Allegedly, Cottrell was paid for a construction job that he never completed.
Cottrell refused to stop for authorities, and speeds reached over 100 miles per hour.
Eyewitness News spoke some of Cottrell's former friends who say years ago his personality began to change dramatically, and some of them stopped spending time with him. "He would talk sometimes and not make any sense, and just be very wide-eyed and just paranoid, very paranoid about what was happening," explained former friend Monica Hruska.
Summit County sheriff's Detective Josh Wall said, "Why he was driving erratically as they attempted to stop him, why he went through the median and impacted a semi; all the questions we're trying to investigate and trying to put together at this point."
Cottrell also had a warrant out for his arrest for failure to appear. His criminal history includes mostly civil cases, but there were some drug charges against him.
Meanwhile, the Summit County Sheriff's Office is investigating the pursuit to determine if it was justified.
If you knew Douglas Cottrell or have been in contact with him recently, you're asked to call the Summit County Sheriff's Office at (435) 615-3500.
E-mail: wjohnson@ksl.com
