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PARK CITY — A California man was charged Thursday with hitting multiple police patrol cars while attempting to flee.
David Matheson Thomas, 60, of Colfax, California, is charged in 3rd District Court with two counts of assault on a police officer, a second-degree felony; failing to respond to an officer's signal to stop, a third-degree felony; two counts of criminal mischief, a class A misdemeanor; and reckless driving, leaving the scene of an accident, DUI, and interfering with an officer, class B misdemeanors.
About 11:30 p.m. Sunday, Summit County sheriff's deputies were told to be on the lookout for a vehicle that "had been involved in a hit-and-run accident near Kilby Road." A deputy spotted the vehicle a short time later entering a roundabout and traveling in the wrong direction. After exiting the roundabout, the vehicle came to a stop in the middle of the road," according to charging documents.
As the deputy pulled up behind the vehicle, Thomas put his vehicle in reverse and rammed the deputy, the charges state. No serious injuries were reported.
"The suspect vehicle then drove off at a high rate of speed. (The deputy) pursued the suspect vehicle and observed it cross over the lanes of travel on state Route 224 and collide with a Park City police vehicle. Police boxed in the suspect vehicle, which alternatively drove forward and backward, ramming multiple police vehicles parked in front and behind the suspect vehicle," the charges allege.
"David's vehicle tires continued to spin as he attempted to drive away. During the time David's tires were spinning, he continued to ram into multiple police cars. Deputies and officers continued to give orders to David through his now broken window (to stop but) David continued to not comply and continued his attempts to flee," according to a police booking affidavit.
Deputies were eventually able to unlock the SUV's door through the broken window and forcibly remove Thomas from the vehicle. While Thomas was being checked at a local hospital following his arrest, a toxicology test showed methamphetamine in his system, the charges state.
