SPANISH FORK, Utah — A police chase that began in Spanish Fork and ended in Taylorsville Tuesday night resulted in the arrest of a man on "multiple felony charges."
Gary Simpson, 40, was arrested on multiple third-degree felony counts of violation of a protective order as well as failure to stop at the command of police and reckless driving.
Payson City Police report that the incident began at 2 p.m. when a woman reported that her ex, identified as Simpson, went to her home and threatened to kill her that morning.
As the threat was a violation of a protective order, officers tried to find Simpson at a previous address and work but could not locate him.
Later that night, the woman who reported the violation was in Spanish Fork when Simpson located her and began to chase her in a vehicle, officials report.
Arresting documents for Simpson state that the woman told dispatchers, "he is going to kill me."
Simpson tried to ram the victim's vehicle and box her in as she called for help from police, officials report.
When officers arrived, the suspect did not yield to police and a pursuit was initiated, police said.
During the chase, Simpson was observed exceeding speeds of over 100 miles per hour while traveling in northbound lanes of Interstate 15, court documents state.
Several law enforcement agencies, along with the Department of Public Safety helicopter, assisted in the pursuit that eventually came to an end in Taylorsville.
Officers used spike strips to help disable the vehicle, effectively ending the chase, arrest documents report.
When in Taylorsville, Simpson tried to run away before he was located and taken into custody about an hour after the chase began.
Arrest documents detail that the man later told police, "it would be fun to take us for a ride," and that he didn't want to go to jail as the reasons why he fled from officials.
"Payson Police would like to thank all agencies involved in locating and taking this individual into custody," a release reads in part.
