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Woman takes early morning I-15 drive north, in southbound lanes

Posted at 12:07 PM, Aug 13, 2017
and last updated 2017-08-13 14:07:47-04

SALT LAKE CITY – After receiving “quite a few calls” Utah Highway Patrol says they sent troopers to find an intoxicated woman driving northbound on I-15 in southbound lanes early this morning.

According to Sgt. Jalaine Hawkes, the vehicle had many “near run-ins” as it traveled the interstate between I-215 near 3500 south and 600 south around 2 am.

Hawkes says the driver’s speeds ranged between 85 and 35 miles per hour.

The chase lasted about an hour and stopped when the woman’s driving slowed enough for a trooper to drive alongside and push her gently off the road, UHP says.

Utah Highway Patrol says after the woman took, and failed, a field sobriety test she was immediately arrested for driving under the influence along with several other violations. She was then transported directly to the Salt Lake County jail.

“She was intoxicated to the point where she felt like she had been driving normally,” said Sgt. Jalaine Hawkes, “when she was pulled over she asked officers why they had stopped her.”

Hawkes says there was probably at least 50 cars she passed while driving the wrong way on the Interstate, “that’s at least 50 people’s lives she basically disregarded.”

According to Hawkes, Highway Patrol was fortunate that it had stopped raining, for the most part, so that wet road conditions didn’t play a factor in the event.