ST. GEORGE — A pursuit that stretched from a highway in Enoch to a neighborhood in New Harmony and ended with the arrests of two individuals got started with a party in Salt Lake City, a stolen vehicle and a GPS tracking system.
Mariah Kay Hurse, 21, of Salt Lake City, and 21-year-old Taylor Lane Collier, of Boardman, Oregon, were booked into the Iron County Jail early Thursday morning facing numerous charges after they allegedly led police on a high-speed pursuit in a stolen vehicle.
The vehicle, initially reported as a gray Toyota Camry, was equipped with a GPS tracking system that indicated the car was parked at the Family Dollar Store Wednesday afternoon, Enoch Police Cpl. Jeremy Dunn said.
Officers responding to the location were unable to find the car.
Meanwhile, police learned there was a mistake on the vehicle’s registration, and the vehicle reported stolen was a white Camry, which was quickly located in the parking lot, Dunn said.
By the time officers realized the error, Collier and Hurse had exited the store and were getting into the car.
As they drove the Camry from the parking lot, Dunn pulled in behind the vehicle and activated his lights. The pursuit began southbound on North Minersville Highway.
The Camry pulled onto Interstate 15 heading south and began passing other vehicles using the emergency lane, which became more dangerous when the car reached Cedar City.
“The driver continued passing large semis using the emergency lane to the right,” Dunn said.
Meanwhile, patrol vehicles were positioned to slow surrounding traffic as the Camry driver became more erratic, reaching speeds in excess of 120 mph, prompting police to terminate the pursuit due to the risk to the public.
After losing sight of the car, officers spotted it heading south at a high rate of speed on Old Highway 91, which parallels the interstate.
Officers continued following in the direction of the Camry and obtained an updated GPS location showing it to be in New Harmony.
Police located the vehicle stuck in some willow bushes near 2162 Tu-Ee Trail, Dunn said. Collier and Hurse were gathering their belongings from inside the car as officers approached.
“We were shouting commands and had our guns drawn, and right then the female crammed heroin into her mouth and swallowed it – right in front of me,” Dunn said.
“Hurse was also charged with possession because what she didn’t understand is that even though she swallowed the drug, she still had it in her possession.”
Hurse was given naloxone, an opioid-overdose antidote often carried by first responders, and was taken to the hospital, while Collier was arrested, transported and booked into the Iron County Jail.
Investigators learned that the Camry’s owner invited a woman matching Hurse’s description to a party in Salt Lake City. The woman later disappeared and guests discovered the car was missing as well.
“We don’t know if Collier was at the party with Hurse, and no other guests saw anyone matching his description, but we do know Hurse was there and then both she and the car disappeared,” Dunn said.
Police believe that Hurse stole the vehicle and then picked up Collier after she left the party. Collier was driving the car from the parking lot of the Family Dollar store, so both were charged with the theft of the vehicle.
Over the last month, the couple had been living in a tent in Sandy after Collier had come to Utah from the Pacific Northwest, according to his statement to police.
Court documents said that during a search of the vehicle and area where the car was located officers found a large amount of marijuana, scales, a clear bag containing a white powder substance, syringes and other items.
Blood tests showed that both Collier and Hurse had a measurable amount of drugs in their system, according to the documents. Police also discovered that Collier driver’s license had been suspended in Oregon.
He was booked into jail on 10 charges, including one count of receiving a stolen vehicle, which is a second-degree felony, and failing to stop at an officer’s command, a third-degree felony.
Collier also faces two counts of drug possession with intent to distribute; one count of drug possession; and one count of driving with a measurable amount of a controlled substance, all class A misdemeanors. In addition, he was charged with class B misdemeanors for drug possession; reckless driving; driving on a suspended license and possession of drug paraphernalia.
Collier is being held in the Iron County Jail without bail, and is scheduled to appear April 23 in 5th District Court in Cedar City.
Hurse, who appeared in court Friday, is charged with one second-degree felony count of receiving a stolen vehicle. She also is charged with one count of tampering with evidence and two counts of possession of a controlled substance, all of which are class A misdemeanors, as well as one class B misdemeanor for possession of a controlled substance.
Hurse’s next court appearance is scheduled for May 2. She is being held without bail in the Iron County Jail.
This report is based on statements from police or other emergency responders and may not contain the full scope of findings. Persons arrested or charged are presumed innocent until found guilty in a court of law or as otherwise decided by a trier-of-fact.
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The girl died up here in Vancouver, Wa last week fleeing from the State Patrol.