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TAYLORSVILLE — A suspected parole fugitive fled U.S. Marshals Service and Taylorsville police officers in his car early Friday as they attempted to detain him, ultimately crashing at the intersection of 6200 South and 2700 West.
The incident unfolded starting around 1 a.m. as officers attempted to pull over Chad Eric Taft, 43, on a felony warrant stemming from a suspected violation of a probation agreement. Taylorsville Police Lt. Aaron Cheshire said Taft fled in his vehicle with a Utah Department of Public Safety helicopter monitoring his progress from the sky.
The officers attempting to arrest him didn't pursue the suspect, but other Taylorsville officers, advised of Taft's trajectory, placed spikes along the roadway at 6000 South and 1300 West, Cheshire said. Taft traveled through the location, though it's not clear how many of his tires, if any, were punctured, and he continued, ultimately striking another car at the 6200 South and 2700 West intersection and crashing into a power pole.
Taft was taken to a hospital for treatment, subsequently released and transferred to the Salt Lake County Jail, Cheshire said. The driver of the vehicle Taft hit at 6200 South and 2700 West sustained minor injuries, according to Cheshire.
Arrest warrants for Taft, who's from West Jordan, were issued Jan. 18 in 3rd District Court in Salt Lake County in connection with suspected violations of probation agreements in at least two court cases, convictions for aggravated assault and misdemeanor theft, according to online court records.
The incident early Friday morning led to the temporary closure of 6200 South between 2500 West to 3200 West to restore power lost as a result of damage to the power pole Taft hit in his car.
