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SALT LAKE CITY — An officer was injured when a juvenile tried to flee an accident investigation in a stolen car Wednesday, police said.
The officer responded to a report of a traffic accident near 1953 W. California Avenue at about 12:54 a.m., according to the Salt Lake City Police Department. A car with front-end damage was being pushed to gas pumps by several men when he arrived.
Two people were detained while the officer tried to determine what happened, according to Salt Lake police Det. Cody Lougy.
“One of the individuals basically began to struggle with the officer and fight with the officer,” he said. “This individual actually stood up, ran toward the car, got into the stolen vehicle and attempted to flee in the stolen vehicle.”
He was arrested after struggling with the officer, who had to pull him out of the car, according to police. Investigators later determined he was a juvenile who provided a fake identification card to the officer.
Lougy said it was unclear how the vehicle became damaged. It was stolen out of Brigham City, and the juvenile driver knew the car was stolen, according to police. The juvenile was arrested on suspicion of possession of a stolen vehicle, fleeing and resisting arrest and taken to the juvenile detention center.
During the arrest confrontation, the officer sustained several lacerations, Lougy said. He was treated at a local hospital and is expected to make a full recovery.
