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FILLMORE — A man who troopers say was going nearly 120 mph — and who allegedly claimed he was actually going much faster at one point — was arrested early Tuesday.
Just before 1 a.m. on I-15 in Millard County, a Utah Highway Patrol trooper spotted a vehicle traveling "what I estimated to be well over 100 mph," the trooper wrote in a police booking affidavit. The trooper's speed radar confirmed the vehicle was traveling 114 mph, the affidavit states, and the headlights on the vehicle were also turned off.
By the time the trooper caught up with the 2013 BMW X1, he said his radar recorded the vehicle's speed at 118 mph.
The trooper chased the fleeing car — which did not pull over — for an undisclosed distance before terminating the pursuit. Other officers then picked up the chase.
"The vehicle continued drive recklessly as it was spiked three different times," the affidavit states.
About 35 miles after the car was first spotted, it came to a stop. Zachary Robert Staheli, 21, of Spanish Fork, was arrested and charged Tuesday afternoon in 4th District Court with two counts of failing to stop for police, a third-degree felony; three counts of reckless endangerment, a class A misdemeanor; reckless endangerment, a class B misdemeanor, and two traffic infractions including going 118 mph in an 80 mph zone.
When interviewed by police, Staheli claimed he was going a lot faster than 118 mph, according to the affidavit.
"Zachary stated he was driving 160 mph and driving with his headlights off to help the truckers. He stated that he saw the officers driving behind him with their emergency lights activated," the affidavit states.
His arrest is the latest in a year marked with a dramatic increase in the number of drivers being caught going at least 100 mph, according to the UHP.
