By Tracie Sullivan, For Iron County Today
A man allegedly driving a stolen Dodge Charger led officers on a high-speed chase Friday night before being caught in a field with help from a police helicopter.
Grant Adam Parker, 33, was booked into the Iron County Jail on suspicion of receiving or transferring a stolen vehicle, a second-degree felony. He also faces a third-degree felony count of failing to respond to an officer’s signal to stop.
Several misdemeanor and infraction charges were also filed, including drug possession, paraphernalia, reckless driving, failing to wear a seat belt, and not having his driver’s license with him.
According to court documents, the incident began around 9:10 p.m. after Washington County deputies attempted to stop an orange Dodge Charger with California plates that had been reported stolen earlier in the day.
The Charger sped north on Interstate 15, hitting roughly 130 mph. Deputies backed off near milepost 48, but a police helicopter kept following the car and guided officers to its location.
The Charger kept going and crossed into Iron County, finally losing a tire and rolling to a stop near the Parowan exit at milepost 79. Parker got out and ran into nearby fields. The helicopter tracked him while Utah Highway Patrol troopers moved in, and he was arrested a short time later.
Upon searching the vehicle, troopers reported finding marijuana and drug paraphernalia on him, and an inventory of the vehicle uncovered a glass pipe that field-tested positive for methamphetamine.
The seat belt remained buckled, indicating it had not been worn during the chase. Parker told officers he did not have his driver’s license with him but provided his name and birth date.
The affidavit showed Parker also had an active felony warrant out of Minnesota but provided no additional information. The arresting officer requested Parker remain in custody, noting he had “already shown disregard by fleeing multiple times, both in a vehicle and on foot,” and posed a danger or flight risk if released.