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WASHINGTON CITY — A Cedar City woman was arrested early Wednesday morning after authorities say she led police on a wrong-way pursuit on I-15 for at least 35 miles before her vehicle’s tires were spiked by police.
Alicia Rebecca Monroy, 34, was arrested and booked into jail on suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol, reckless driving, failure to remain at the scene of a crash and driving with an open container of alcohol in a vehicle, Washington County Sheriff’s Office records show.
A chemical test revealed Monroy had a 0.191 percent blood alcohol content reading, which is nearly four times the state’s BAC limit, authorities wrote in an affidavit filed in Washington City Justice Court.
Shortly before 5 a.m., Utah Highway Patrol troopers received a report of a vehicle traveling south on northbound lanes near Kanarraville in Iron County. The vehicle was traveling 80 to 95 mph in the wrong direction, the affidavit stated. Troopers wrote the vehicle was responsible for a hit-and-run accident in Cedar City and for running a vehicle “off the road and into the cable barrier (north of New Harmony).”
After that, law enforcement made three attempts — one south of New Harmony, one near Toquerville and a third near Leeds — to spike vehicle's tires but were unsuccessful, the report continued.
“Each time the vehicle observed the emergency lights it would signal and change lanes,” the affidavit stated.
On the fourth attempt, authorities were able to successfully spike the vehicle’s tires and the vehicle stopped just south of the Washington-Hurricane city lines. A woman was identified as the only person in the vehicle and was arrested by Washington County deputies for UHP troopers, the affidavit continued.
She was then identified as Monroy from her driver’s license. Troopers also observed strange eye moment consistent with intoxication and Monroy was transported to Dixie Regional Medical Center for medical evaluation, according to the report.
In addition to the chemical test, troopers added they found a “partially open” bottle of vodka in a backpack in the vehicle Monroy was driving.
After the medical evaluation, Monroy was transferred to Purgatory Correctional Facility in Hurricane, the affidavit stated.
Monroy has no previous criminal history in Utah, according to state court records.
