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SALT LAKE COUNTY -- An early morning pursuit ended in Salt Lake City Tuesday when the suspect's vehicle slammed head-on into a 7-Eleven sign. The three suspects inside the car were suspected of being involved in a stabbing.
At this point Taylorsville police don't know whether or not the three suspects inside the stolen vehicle are the same suspects involved in Tuesday morning's stabbing. They say they're looking into a possible connection.
Detective Shannon Bennett, with the Taylorsville Police Department, said, "We have very limited suspect information and very limited suspect vehicle information."
Right now, Taylorsville police say there's a possibility the black vehicle is the same vehicle involved in a stabbing that took place near 1900 West and 5400 South.
"There are some similarities, but we just don't know for sure at this point," Shannon said.
The stabbing was the result of a road rage incident that occurred around 1:20 a.m. Police say the victim was stabbed in the forearm with a knife.
"The initial report we received was that the suspect's car cut off the victim's vehicle," Shannon said. "Our victim was in the passenger seat. There were some words exchanged, then the altercation occurred."
The victim gave police a vague description of the suspects and their vehicle--a dark colored sedan, possibly a Honda.
Around 2:30, a West Valley City police officer spotted a vehicle that matched the description of the one involved in the stabbing.
West Valley police Sgt. John Pearce said, "He fled from when the officer first came across him, he fled before the officer even realized what he was looking at."
The suspect took off, leading the officer on a chase that reached 70 miles per hour.
When the suspect's vehicle reached the intersection of 500 South and Redwood Road, the driver tried to turn east. The car, however, was traveling too fast.
Pearce said, "He came up here to 500 South where the vehicle failed to negotiate a turn and went off onto the grass and struck a 7-Eleven sign."
Three people were inside the stolen vehicle when it crashed, all of them minors. Police say both passengers were hurt. The passenger in the back of the vehicle suffered serious injuries after being thrown partially though the windshield. The driver was not injured.
Taylorsville police say the driver of the vehicle is denying involvement.
A West Valley City police officer was also involved in the crash. His vehicle hit the curb. It has minor damage, and the officer was not injured.
Investigators from the Salt Lake City Police Department are handling that investigation, while Taylorsville says they will investigate whether or not there is connection to the stabbing.
E-mail: spark@ksl.com
