Woman jumps from moving vehicle; Utah driver with extensive criminal history charged

PROVO — A woman was seriously injured when she jumped from a moving vehicle to escape a man who allegedly had just nearly hit two sheriff's deputies in Payson Canyon, according to charging documents.

Nicholas Gene King, 42, of Nephi, was charged Thursday in 4th District Court with two counts of assault on a police officer and kidnapping, all second-degree felonies; drug possession, a third-degree felony; reckless endangerment and unauthorized control of a vehicle for extended time, both class A misdemeanors; DUI, possession of drug paraphernalia and reckless driving, all class B misdemeanors; and driving on a denied license, a class C misdemeanor.

On Sunday, Utah County sheriff's deputies and Payson police were attending to a traffic accident in Payson Canyon near the turnoff to Pete Winward Reservoir. They were doing traffic control to allow vehicles to get by the closed section of road, alternating between north and southbound lanes.

That's when King approached them at a high speed, according to charging documents.

"The officer heard the tires of the vehicle squealing as he was maneuvering lanes and slowing down fast," the charges state.

Deputies got the vehicle to stop and found King in the driver's seat and a woman in the passenger seat.

"A deputy was standing at the driver’s window with both hands on the door at waist height, and at that time, the car fled. The deputy had to jump out of the way to keep his feet from being run over," charging documents state.

A second deputy "had to run out of the way toward the rear of his vehicle to avoid getting hit by the fleeing vehicle," the charges state.

Officers waited at the mouth of the canyon for the car.

"From the mouth of the canyon, the defendant was observed by several officers driving recklessly, running stop signs and speeding," the charges state.

As law enforcers continued to follow King, but not engage in a pursuit, a deputy "observed the female passenger several times open the door and could see her legs outside the door jamb, apparently, in an attempt to get out of the vehicle," according to charging documents.

The woman eventually jumped from the vehicle while it was traveling an estimated 40 mph. She "sustained serious injury requiring several staples to her head as well as severe road rash to her body, legs and arms," according to court documents.

Later at the hospital, the woman told investigators that she was yelling at King to slow down and to let her out of the car.

"He would slow down from time to time and she would open the door to jump out and he would immediately speed up quickly and laugh. It was apparent that she was being held against her will," the charges state.

After the woman jumped from the car, King spotted another deputy, got out of his car and ran, according to the charges. Deputies reported finding meth inside the car, which they discovered was stolen.

About an hour after running from the car, King was found hiding under a trailer in a field.

King has an extensive criminal history, according to the sheriff's office, including a conviction for a similar incident two years ago. On July 24, 2017, King was again in Payson and fled from officers.

"This time King had two passengers and he would not let them get out of the car either," according to a statement from the sheriff's office.

He was convicted of failing to stop for police and theft and sentenced up to 15 years in the Utah State Prison, court records state.

In 2013, he pleaded guilty and mentally ill to an amended charge of attempted failing to stop for a law enforcer, according to court records. King has also pleaded guilty and mentally ill in other cases. He has multiple convictions of failing to stop for police, as well as theft and drug-related convictions dating back to 2006, according to court records.

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