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LAYTON — A man who died in a crash on U.S. Highway 89 Tuesday night had sped away from a police officer moments before colliding with another car, authorities said Wednesday. The crash also killed the driver of the other vehicle.
Jared Facer, 30, and Danae Stevens, 50, both of Layton, were killed in the crash, according to Layton Police Lt. Travis Lyman.
Police responded to a report of a domestic dispute at a home located in the area of 1200 E. 2400 North shortly before 11 p.m., Lyman said. Officers were told a man who lived at the home was "yelling, damaging property and had locked himself in a bedroom with a gun."
The caller then told police that the man left the home in a silver car and sped away on U.S. 89. A police officer spotted the vehicle, a Mazda sedan, less than 10 minutes after the initial call came in, Lyman said.
He said the officer turned on his lights to pull the vehicle over, but the driver sped away and the officer declined to pursue the vehicle. Two minutes later, Layton dispatch received a report of a car crash and fire on the highway near Tanglewood Drive. Arriving officers discovered that one of the vehicles involved was one that had escaped police.
Lyman said the sedan driven by Facer was traveling southbound on the highway when it crossed into the northbound lanes and hit a Kia SUV, which Stevens was driving. Both drivers died on impact; Facer was ejected from his car.
The impact of the collision was so great that one of the engines came out of its vehicle and caught fire, according to police. Lyman said investigators still aren't sure what caused Facer to cross into the other lane of traffic, but police say the vehicle was speeding before the crash.
The crash remains under investigation.
U.S. 89 was closed for several hours but reopened around 4:30 a.m. Wednesday.
Contributing: Felicia Martinez, KSL TV
