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Teen who fled after crashing car into Payson house arrested on suspicion of DUI

Posted at 11:56 AM, Apr 17, 2016
and last updated 2016-04-17 19:33:11-04

PAYSON, Utah -- A 19-year-old man was arrested Sunday morning after crashing his parents’ car into a Payson home, according to police.

“Officers responded to a call involving a car that had left the road and hit a home,” said Lt. Bill Wright of the Payson Police Department.

The home sits on SR 198, in the area of 100 North and 100 West.

SR 198 curves near the house, but apparently the driver didn’t get the memo and ended up launched into the side of the home. The car smashed through the wall and shattered a window.

Lt. Wright said a witness called police to report what happened around 12:15 a.m.

“When [officers] arrived, there was no one here," he said. "The individual that was driver had fled the scene."

Tryston EricksonThat’s when detectives got to work to track down where the driver disappeared to. Their sleuthing led them to 19-year-old Tryston Erickson about an hour later. Lt. Wright said the suspect had made it a few miles away to the Elkridge Township.

Police took him into custody and booked Erickson on four charges, including driving under the influence, receiving or transporting a stolen vehicle, leaving the scene of an accident and driving with a suspended license.

Lt. Wright said the house saw significant damage, but no one currently lives in the rental property. He said Erickson suffered only minor injuries.

He knows that’s pretty lucky considering what happened.

“This was a very dangerous situation that could have resulted in the loss of life very easily,” Lt. Wright said. “We’re just glad that it did not.”