SALT LAKE CITY — Newly-released dash camera video shows the end of a pursuit that began when a 12-year-old girl stole her mother's car and sped onto Interstate 15 in Salt Lake County.
Watch full pursuit dash cam video below:
The video released Thursday was taken from a Utah Highway Patrol vehicle on March 7 and shows the girl in a Honda Civic traveling southbound in the carpool lane just after 11:30 p.m. Throughout the entire incident, the girl continues to drive without headlights on.
Officials were first alerted to the call of a reckless driver near 2300 North in North Salt Lake. It was then that a UHP trooper attempted to stop the Civic, but the girl kept on her way.
The dash camera video shows the girl drifting in and out of the carpool lane at speeds up to 70 miles per hour for several minutes. As the girl continued on the highway, other troopers were able to slow surrounding traffic to avoid any other vehicles from getting involved.
As the pursuit neared 10400 South in Sandy, the trooper was able to successfully perform a PIT maneuver to bring the Civic to a stop. Only after the pursuit ended did troopers learn the driver was a young girl who had taken her mother's car without permission.
No one was injured during the pursuit or its end.
The 12-year-old was later returned to the custody of her parents, although UHP is currently screening the case with the juvenile court system to determine whether there will be any further punishment.
