By Tracie Sullivan, For Iron County Today
Two men are behind bars after leading police on a high-speed chase across several Utah counties with speeds topping out at 189 mph.
According to court documents, the suspects are Cristian Miguel Sanchez Luna and Ethan Antone Mason, both 21-years-old.
Luna, identified as the driver, faces multiple charges, including failure to stop at the command of law enforcement, a third-degree felony; obstruction of justice, a third-degree felony; and possession of a firearm by a restricted person, a third-degree felony.
He is also charged with two counts of possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute, one filed as a third-degree felony and the other a second-degree felony. In addition he faces several misdemeanors, including reckless driving and possession of drug paraphernalia.
Mason is facing charges of obstruction of justice, a third-degree felony; two counts of possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance, a third-degree felony and second-degree felony; and possession of a firearm by a restricted person, a third-degree felony. He also faces misdemeanor charges of possession of marijuana and drug paraphernalia.
The pursuit began Thursday evening when a Utah Highway Patrol (UHP) trooper in Sevier County spotted a Dodge Charger without a rear license plate speeding at 166 mph on Interstate 70.
According to the police report filed in 5th District Court, the driver refused to stop, prompting officers to continue the pursuit southbound on Interstate 15 through Sevier, Beaver, and Iron counties. The incident involved officers from several agencies including deputies from Beaver and Iron County.
As the Charger continued south on State Route 130, Iron County Sheriff’s deputies and local police from Cedar City and Enoch also engaged in efforts to apprehend the suspects.
As the chase continued on I-15, Luna reportedly moved to the shoulder of the road, passing another vehicle before accelerating to 189 mph in an 80 mph zone. The pursuit was temporarily halted when the Charger exited the freeway at Exit 109 in Beaver City due to safety protocols that limit high-speed chases in populated areas.
Under Utah’s pursuit guidelines, police are required to consider public safety and the potential risks of continuing high-speed chases in populated areas..
A Beaver County Sheriff deputy spotted the Charger again as it headed west on State Route 21 toward Minersville and then south on State Route 130 toward Cedar City. Officers tried to slow it down by deploying spike strips at mile markers 10 and 8, but Luna kept speeding south.
The pursuit ended in Enoch City when officers used a pursuit intervention technique (PIT), a maneuver designed to safely force a fleeing vehicle to spin and stop, bringing the Charger to a halt on Thoroughbred Lane. Both Luna and Mason then attempted to flee on foot.
“The driver exited the vehicle and threw an AR-style rifle over the fence to the south and was taken into custody without incident,” one trooper wrote in the probable cause statement.
Mason reportedly ran from the vehicle but was apprehended a short time later. Near the path Mason had taken while trying to evade police, officers recovered a white plastic sack containing approximately three pounds of psilocybin, a Schedule 1 controlled substance.
Psilocybin, often referred to as “magic mushrooms,” is a hallucinogenic drug known for its mind-altering effects.
Luna and Mason were booked into the Iron County Correctional Facility and are being held without bail.
Both Luna and Mason had outstanding warrants in other jurisdictions, increasing concerns about their flight risk and leading authorities to request they remain in jail without bail.
“They continued to flee from law enforcement officers in a disregard for public safety and put the innocent motoring public at risk,” the arresting officer wrote in the affidavit.
The court documents further noted, “I believe if released, there is a high likelihood the occupants would flee the jurisdiction of the courts and not return.”