BOUNTIFUL, Utah — A police pursuit ended just yards away from a Bountiful construction site, and now workers are sharing how grateful they are to an officer who was there to protect them.
Construction superintendent Nick Ulrich usually clocks in for the night shift at 6 p.m., and the project he’s currently on has him and his crew on site at 500 West in Bountiful.
Sunday night’s shift was one that Ulrich will always remember.
“Our crews were working north. Actually right across the road... and the police all just came out of nowhere," explained Ulrich on Monday.
A Farmington Police pursuit involving a suspect who had allegedly driven off from a traffic stop started around 11:15 p.m. The driver headed to exit Interstate 15, where he crashed into a Bountiful Police vehicle just off of 500 West.
“There was a Bountiful Police officer listening to the chase and the call," said Ulrich. "He staged right in the off ramp. Once he heard he was exiting at about 105 miles per hour, he made the quick decision to divert or block him. He ended up getting struck, but he prevented the guy from flying into our work zone. Stopping something a lot worse from happening.”
To Ulrich and the crew, the officer's actions were more than heroic.
“Talking to [the officer] afterwards, he was calm, not shook up," Ulrich shared. "He just said, 'It’s no big deal. It’s what we do. I knew you guys were there and it was the only option.'"
With work zones all across the state, as many drivers have probably noticed, crews hope drivers are paying attention.
“We want to make sure that our workers are always safe and that the work zone is as safe as it can be. When you’re talking about speeds, people going 80 miles per hour, it can be a frightening experience right when you’re standing by live traffic," said John Gleason with the Utah Department of Transportation.
Gleason added that UDOT has a great partnership with their contractors and law enforcement.
“At the end of the day, we want to make sure everyone gets home to their families," he said.
Although it was a close call Sunday, the construction crew is ready to get back to work Monday night.
“Everybody was in really high spirits when they left, and I know they’re going to be in high spirits when they come back," Ulrich said. "It was the best possible outcome."
