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Suspect accused of injuring three people in DUI crash identified

Posted at 11:34 AM, Jun 03, 2014
and last updated 2014-06-03 13:34:42-04

SALT LAKE COUNTY — A man who allegedly drove under the influence and crashed into a van on I-80 Saturday night, injuring three people, has been identified.

Saul Sanchez, 28, faces several charges, including leaving the scene of an accident, driving under the influence with injury, reckless driving, no valid license and damaging jail/police vehicles.

According to a probable cause statement, the Utah Highway Patrol pursued Sanchez along I-80 after receiving a report that a highly intoxicated individual had left Miller Motorsports Park.

UHP received another report that the subject was traveling at a very high rate of speed and could not maintain his lane of travel.

Before troopers could intercept the driver, he allegedly hit a minivan, causing it to roll.

The driver and a 13-year-old passenger were ejected from minivan and suffered severe injuries, UHP representatives said. Another occupant seated in the back of the minivan suffered minor injuries.

According to the probable cause statement, Sanchez fled from his vehicle and ran up the SR-201 off ramp.

“I got in my vehicle and pursued the driver of the vehicle, I caught him about halfway up the ramp and took him into custody,” the UHP trooper who arrested Sanchez wrote. “I then returned to the scene of the crash, while attending to the victims the subject in custody urinated and vomited in the back seat of my patrol car creating a very large mess.”

Officials brought Sanchez to the North Tooele Fire Department for a blood draw. He was then booked into the Tooele County Jail.

Related story:
Police say they are looking at alcohol as a ‘major factor’ in crash that injured 3 people