MILLCREEK, Utah — Two men were arrested Monday after they allegedly tried to run a semi-truck off the road in Millcreek, then challenged the truck driver to a fight and fired gunshots at him.
The trucker told police that he was exiting I-80 eastbound onto 700 East when a silver Hyundai veered across four lanes and "nearly ran him off the road," court documents state. The truck driver said he honked his horn and then turned right onto 700 East, heading south. The car then pulled up next to him, and he said the driver and passenger flipped him off, swore at him and called him a racial slur.
The car's driver and passenger, later identified as 22-year-old Adrian David Brown and 24-year-old Tyler Joshua Foutz, allegedly kept telling the trucker to stop and challenged him to fight.
The truck driver turned left onto 3300 South, and the two men — who police said are brothers — followed him. The Hyundai pulled in front of the truck and "brake-checked" the victim, he said. The truck driver then pulled over, hoping to let the car go ahead of him and avoid a crash. But he said the car stopped in front of him, and the two men got out of the car, so he also got out and shot pepper spray at the two men. All three then got in their vehicles and drove away.
A short time later, the trucker said he saw the Hyundai pull up next to him at a red light, and then he heard gunshots and ducked down to avoid being hit. The Hyundai then drove away, and the trucker followed it while he called 911. He then pulled over and waited for officers to arrive and gave them his account of what happened.
After talking with police, the truck driver was allowed to leave. He then saw the Hyundai again and flagged down officers, who began pursuing the two brothers.
Police said the suspects' vehicle was traveling at speeds of up to 100 miles per hour on 700 East, then turned onto 3300 South, then ran a red light at 1300 East, crashed into another car and flipped onto its roof. It was not specified whether anyone in the other vehicle was injured in the crash.
Brown, who was driving, was taken into custody while Foutz, the passenger, was taken to the hospital in unknown condition.
Police said they found a 9mm magazine in the Hyundai and one used shell casing in the crash debris. They also reportedly found five more 9mm casings at 4200 S. 700 East, where the victim said the shooting occurred.
Brown spoke with police and denied any wrongdoing. He said he didn't see officers trying to pull him over, and when he did, his brakes didn't work and that's why he ran the red light. He also denied that there were any shots fired. He also claimed the truck driver instigated the situation and challenged him and Foutz to a fight.
When police informed him that they found used shell casings at the scene, he allegedly replied that "he wasn't the one who fired the gun," according to the arrest report. He did not say anything further about the shots being fired.
Foutz was arrested on six felony counts of felony discharge of a firearm in the direction of a person, as well as aggravated assault and use of a firearm by a restricted person.
Brown was arrested for failure to stop at the command of police, driving under the influence, reckless endangerment and reckless driving.
