SALT LAKE CITY – An Utah Highway Patrolman and another man are recovering after a wreck when the officer was following a suspicious car overnight.
The Department of Public Safety said the UHP trooper was chasing a suspect through Salt Lake City when he went through an intersection, hitting and injuring an innocent driver Wednesday night.
Both the trooper and the driver were taken to the hospital; the suspect got away.
“Officers are making split-second decisions all the time in their dangerous situations they’re involved in,” DPS Major Brian Redd said.
Redd said it appear the trooper ran a red light near 400 S. and 200 W. at about midnight, casing the collision.
“He attempted to make a traffic stop on that vehicle," Redd said. "The vehicle fled through an intersection, our agent went through that intersection and then struck a vehicle."
The attempted stop was part of an undercover investigation with the Metro Gang Unit.
Redd said the trooper was trying to pull over the suspect because the vehicle was suspicious.
The innocent driver who was injured and the trooper were both taken to Intermountain Medical Center.
The trooper suffered a minor head injury and was treated and released.
The other driver, who has only been identified as a man, remains in stable condition, with non-life-threatening injuries to his head, back and chest.
“When we injure someone, we take that very seriously,” Redd said.
The Salt Lake City Police Department has taken over the investigation.
According to the Department of Public Safety, the trooper's car was unmarked but did have flashing lights and a siren on during the pursuit.
The Department of Public Safety said the trooper could face disciplinary action.
Officials said they are awaiting the outcome of the investigation before they make that final determination.
