When a naked lady stole — and wrecked — a Utah police car
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Fifteen years ago this week, Salt Lake was captivated by a naked woman who stole a car, crashed it, led police on a foot chase through a field of sagebrush, slipped out of their grasp, stole their cruiser, dragged the officers until they let go of the car, crashed the cruiser, wriggled through a barbed wire fence and got Tasered.
- This is Old News, where we try to catch our breath and re-examine the headlines of Utah's past.
Flashback: The woman, 31, had wrecked the stolen car in a field near S.R. 111 in West Valley City when police found her hiding behind a bush.
- They tried to grab her when she charged them, but ...
What they said: "She was hot and sweaty, dirty, and very slippery. She managed to escape the grasp of the two officers," a West Valley Police spokesperson told KSL.
What happened: The woman got into their squad car and drove away — and then crashed through a gate and hit a dirt berm.
- The car soared about 50 feet before it crashed into another berm, police said.
- The $30,000 cruiser was "a total loss," the spokesperson said. "I think there's a hubcap that's still usable."
- The woman ran away again, overcoming a barbed wire fence before police deployed their stun gun.
The bottom line: The woman "said that God told her to get naked," police wrote in booking documents.
- She pleaded guilty in abeyance, and her charges were later dismissed.