Just after 8 a.m. on July 18, a Garfield County Sheriff’s Deputy stopped a vehicle in Panguitch for running a stop sign. Two adults and their two children were outside the vehicle with officers when the male driver forced his way past the officers and was able to flee the scene in the car. The Garfield officers pursued the vehicle southbound on Highway 89 eventually crossing over into Kane County with speeds during the chase reaching over 110 mph.

A Kane County Deputy prepared to deploy a set of tire spikes at mile post 97 which is at the top of a hill past the Bryce Zion Campground in Glendale Canyon. The deputy had parked his vehicle on the southbound side of the road and had the southbound traffic stopped behind him. As the suspect approached, he swerved his vehicle to miss the spikes and impacted the front of the deputy’s empty patrol vehicle.

The suspect, Curtis E. Heisler age 34 from Phoenix Arizona, was taken by Life Flight to St. George Regional Hospital. He was evaluated and quickly released before being transported to the Garfield County Jail where he was booked on numerous charges.