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WEBER COUNTY — Police arrested a man who they say was driving recklessly and fleeing from police at speeds of 75 to 90 miles per hour Monday morning.
Just before 4 a.m., Utah Highway Patrol became aware that a Davis County deputy was pursuing a male driver northbound toward Weber County on State Road 89, according to UHP.
The deputy made contact with the 1999 Chevrolet Cavalier, which was traveling or parked the wrong way, and identified the driver. The driver then fled, spurring a pursuit, and the Davis County deputy stopped the pursuit, police said.
The driver of the vehicle, 54-year-old David Lopez-Flores, continued driving recklessly, and police pursued him, but Weber County Sheriff's officers and South Ogden Police officers also stopped the pursuit.
Shortly after, a UHP trooper saw Lopez-Flores merge onto I-15 northbound at 31st Street in Ogden, so the trooper followed him at a distance.
Lopez-Flores exited at 24th Street and continued driving recklessly, attempting to hit the UHP trooper "who was not actively engaging the suspect in any pursuit," UHP said.
His strange behavior and reckless driving led police to wonder if he may be suicidal, since he was driving into oncoming traffic without police cars trailing him and was playing a game of chicken with the officers.
Lopez-Flores drove out of the area, exceeding the speed limit, and police lost sight of him.
Later, another UHP trooper saw him near 1900 West and 2550 South. Lopez-Flores stopped but then fled again, so the UHP unit performed a pit maneuver. The driver got away and was seen by various officers off and on for some time, "still driving reckless to the point of being suicidal in nature," UHP said.
Weber County dispatch pinged Lopez-Flores' cellphone after officials made contact with his parole officer, who confirmed he may have suicidal intentions, police said.
Police located Lopez-Flores around 6 a.m. in Plain City. He was "again behaving in an irrational manner," and a UHP trooper hit the side of his vehicle so he couldn't drive off again.
Lopez-Flores was hanging out of the driver's window, waving his hands and going berserk, UHP said. He ignored multiple commands to get out of the vehicle, and police deployed a taser on him.
Lopez-Flores was taken into custody and charged on suspicion of several counts of evading, driving under the influence and traffic offenses.
Two UHP cars and the Chevrolet Cavalier were damaged during the situation.
