By Tracie Sullivan, For Iron County Today
A Cedar City man faces a series of charges after an early morning hit-and-run crash led to a high-speed chase through Iron County last Monday.
Edward Wadsworth, 74, was arrested following the pursuit, which authorities say reached speeds over 100 mph and endangered other drivers before it ended near Hamilton Fort.
Court documents filed in 5th District Court indicate that the incident began around 8:13 a.m., when Wadsworth rear-ended a vehicle on the northbound Interstate-15 off-ramp near Mile Marker 57.
The crash resulted in injuries and significant vehicle damage. Instead of stopping, Wadsworth allegedly fled southbound on Highway 91 as the driver he struck attempted to follow him and called for assistance.
An Iron County Sheriff’s deputy found Wadsworth’s vehicle near Rainbow Ranches. At that point, Wadsworth reportedly accelerated toward the deputy, narrowly avoiding a collision before veering off the road.
The deputy activated his lights and siren, initiating a pursuit. Wadsworth then attempted multiple evasive maneuvers on both paved and dirt roads, reaching speeds that reportedly exceeded 100 mph.
The chase ended when a Utah Highway Patrol trooper blocked Wadsworth’s path on Graff Farm Road and forced him to stop.
Officers discovered that Wadsworth’s vehicle was uninsured — a factor he later cited as his reason for fleeing the scene. He claimed, however, that he was unaware of the police pursuit.
“This subject stated to me under Miranda that he got scared when he hit the vehicle in front of him and knew that he had no insurance so he took off,” the affidavit states. “He tells me that he didn’t know that he was being chased by a police officer even though he continued running and evading the officer at speeds over 100 mph even on dirt roads.”
Wadsworth now faces multiple charges, including felony evading, a third-degree felony, failure to remain at the scene of an accident involving injury and reckless driving.