High speed chase ends with vehicle in wash

By PATSY STODDARD Editor

Two Emery County Sheriff’s deputies were involved with a suspect in a high speed chase on Feb. 19. At approximately 6:50 p.m. a call came into dispatch that there had been a hit and run in the Rock Canyon area between Castle Dale and Ferron. A white SUV reported they had been sideswiped in the area and the pick-up truck had left the scene. Deputy Clayton Bell began traveling to the area where the accident was reported. On route just outside of Castle Dale he met a pick-up which had half of a fence gate attached to the bumper. It was stuck in the vehicle’s bumper and the vehicle was dragging it. Deputy Bell pulled up behind the vehicle and turned on his lights to stop the vehicle to see if everything was OK. As soon as he turned on the lights the vehicle took off. The vehicle traveled approximately 100 yards when it signaled right and drove directly off the road into the brush and the snow. He drives along the fence line for a ways and then goes back up onto the road. The vehicle drives erratically and into oncoming traffic. The vehicle weaved back and forth at speeds of 45 mph. The roads were slick at the time. The vehicle still had the gate attached. At this time, Deputy Brook Smith came to assist Deputy Bell. The vehicle picked up speed and reached 75-80 mph. When the vehicle was just about to the Rock Canyon road turn off, the vehicle left the road again and came to rest in a wash just yards from a home. The vehicle flew off the road according to Deputy Bell. “It’s a good thing that wash was there or the vehicle could have hit that house. The suspect stayed inside his vehicle where he was spinning his wheels and trying to get out of the snow where he was stuck. The suspect wouldn’t respond to commands to exit the vehicle. At this time I decided we needed to get the situation under control, so I took a baton and broke out the drivers side window. We unlocked the door and removed the suspect from the vehicle and put hand cuffs on him. The driver appeared to be high on some type of inhalant,” said Deputy Bell.
The vehicle involved in the hit and run was still at the scene of that accident in the same area and Trooper Tana Allred was taking the report. The pick-up was determined to be the vehicle involved in the hit and run accident. The pick-up truck had apparently picked up the gate somewhere between Clawson and Castle Dale. In the hit and run, the pick-up side swiped the white SUV. The suspect was transported to the Emery County jail where his blood was drawn for testing. He is being charged with DUI, hit and run, leaving the scene of an accident as well as evading police. The suspect was listed as Dennis Liles and was in a borrowed truck at the time of the accident. He is 35 years of age and listed as being a resident of Alabama. He was in the area working for Casey Construction on the overhaul at the Hunter power plant. Liles is reported to have baled out of jail and an initial court appearance has been set.