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LAYTON — Video from a commuter’s dashcam captured the tense moments as a car fleeing from troopers on I-15 crashed into the side of a semitrailer, causing the trailer to tip over before four people were arrested Tuesday morning.
The incident began shortly after 6 a.m. when a Syracuse police officer responded to a report of a suspicious vehicle at a Walmart parking lot, according to a police affidavit. The officer ran the license plate number and “noticed multiple arrest warrants were attached to the vehicle,” so he began to follow the vehicle, which fled the scene, according to a police affidavit.
The pursuit ended when the vehicle crashed into the side of a semitruck on I-15 between Layton Parkway and Kaysville.
Video, given to KSL.com by Utah resident Marshall Thompson, shows the tail end of the pursuit, including the crash and arrests of the people in the vehicle.
Thompson asks a Utah Highway Patrol trooper if he needs any assistance after the passenger car comes to a stop in front of his vehicle after the collision. The trooper instructs him to remain in his car before commanding the driver and passengers to step out of the crashed vehicle.
"I see a lot of accidents but this one was so close that it was,'OK, what do I gotta do?'" Thompson said.
Marcus Anthony Zavala, 24, of West Valley City, who authorities said was driving the gray passenger car in the crash, was arrested on suspicion of failing to respond to an officer’s signal to stop, driving without a valid license and driving with an expired registration.
Three others inside the vehicle, who authorities did not identify, were also taken into custody in connection with warrants out for their arrests.
No injuries were reported in the accident.
Thompson was amazed all of the occupants in the car were able to walk away without significant injuries.
"I'm glad everybody is safe, regardless of what the situation was, I'm glad people walked away (uninjured)," he said.
Thompson credits that to the semitruck driver who handled the crash properly, he said.
"My dad's a truck driver and when I saw that happen I was going, 'Oh man, just keep it together, keep it together,' and he did," Thompson said.
The crash created traffic delays on the freeway for several hours while officials cleared the scene.
Contributing: Mike Anderson, KSL TV
