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2 killed after man leads Utah police on wrong-way high-speed chase

Posted at 7:39 AM, Oct 21, 2014
and last updated 2014-10-21 20:13:12-04

WEBER COUNTY, Utah - Two people are dead and another is recovering after a man drove the wrong way on I-15 in Weber County for close to 10 miles.

Highway Patrolmen said it's amazing more people weren't killed; the chase reached speeds over 100 miles per hour.

Troopers said they tried stopping the driver, 28-year-old Cory S. Bertine of Layton, several times along the 10-mile stretch but he never slowed and eventually crashed head-on into a van.

Officials said 56-year-old Carlos Valdez was driving the can and died Tuesday morning.

Utah Highway Patrol first received calls of a car going the wrong way in the southbound lanes of I-15 near milepost 338 in Roy at about 9:40 p.m. Monday.

Troopers first tried to stop the driver near the 31st St. exit in Ogden but the car continued northbound.

They again tried stopping the car near 12th St. but the driver exited the freeway and immediately got back on, still going north in the southbound lanes.

Then near 4th North in Slaterville, the car hit a van head- on, instantly killing the driver of the car.

"He was actively trying to avoid officers," Lt. Chris Simmons said. "When they encountered him and they turned on their lights, he immediately would take the off ramp and it was just an unfortunate thing that someone had to die."

Authorities have not said if drugs and alcohol were involved.