COTTONWOOD HEIGHTS, Utah -- An officer responded to the sounds of police sirens early Sunday morning only to discover a civilian vehicle outfitted with lights and sirens with a drunken man inside.
Sgt. Gary Young, Cottonwood Heights Police Department, said the officer encountered the vehicle sometime after 5 a.m. on Sunday near 2200 East and 6700 South. The personally owned SUV he found had been outfitted with a siren as well as blue and red lights.
Young said the man behind the wheel of the SUV was drunk, and a passenger turned the lights and sirens on. He said the driver was cited with a DUI, and the passenger was not charged. The man was close to his home, so he was cited and released.
Young said the man claimed to have permission for the lights and sirens from an agency dealing with search and rescue. They are still investigating this claim. Young said a vehicle must be officially authorized to have lights and sirens, which he said was not the case with this individual.
