| Law enforcement officials discuss the events leading to the apprehension of a suspect in a Nov. 2 high speed chase incident. The incident reportedly originated at the 7th District Court in Price and culminated in Emery County with the arrest of 52-year-old Henry Gordon Clarke of Orangeville. Price police booked the subject into the Carbon County Jail on felony evasion, lewdness and trespassing charges in connection with the incident. |
After reportedly leading police on a high speed chase, Henry Clarke was taken into custody by law enforcement last Friday morning.
Extending for a distance of more than 20 miles, the alleged chase involved four law enforcement agencies and spanned two counties.
On Nov. 2, Price Police Officer Johnny Bowman responded to a call at the 7th District Court complex located at 100 East and 100 South. After arriving at the scene, the police officer was directed toward Clarke, who was reportedly entering a vehicle to leave the parking lot, indicated Price Capt. Kevin Drolc during an interview following the Nov. 2 incident.
The subject’s car was parked near the courthouse on 100 South.
Police indicated that Bowman followed Clarke at normal speeds east on 100 South, north on 500 East, east on Main Street and north on 600 East.
After turning east on 100 North, Clarke purportedly began to accelerate the vehicle and continued to lead Bowman north on Cedar Hills Drive.
Bowman called for assistance and followed as the off-duty juvenile propbation officer reportedly headed west on 700 North.
The Price police captain indicated that the pursuit continued south on Veterans Lane, west on 600 North and south on 300 East.
Drolc said Clarke reportedly ran numerous stop signs and traffic lights during the alleged incident.
Additional patrol units caught the chase near 300 East and 100 North, where Clarke purportedly headed west, turning south on 100 East, west on 100 South and then south on Carbon Avenue.
The pursuit continued south on Carbon Avenue, where Clarke reportedly turned west on 500 South, south on 100 West and returned to Carbon on 600 South.
Drolc said he was heading south on Carbon Avenue when Clarke turned out in front of the patrol car the police captain was driving.
Investigators indicated that Clarke had reportedly exceeded 65 miles per hour within the city, although the highest posted speed limit along the route was 35 miles per hour.
Drolc indicated that he followed Clarke south on Carbon Avenue and was joined by state troopers and members of the Carbon County sheriff deputies.
The pursuit continued for 11 miles south on Utah Highway 10 to the junction with Utah Highway 155, where Clarke reportedly left Highway 10 and headed toward Cleveland.
Along Highway 10, Drolc indicated that the high speed chase had purportedly exceeded 100 miles per hour.
After the highway leaves the Price area near the Four Mile Hill, the posted speed limit along SR-10 is 65 miles per hour.
Drolc said he let Joe Vasquez of the Utah Highway Patrol take the lead along the road to Cleveland.
The Price police captain explained that the said the decision was twofold.
The vehicle Drolc was driving was a smaller, unmarked car and the state patrol unit was more visible and better suited to continue the chase.
Further, having left Price and Carbon County, Drolc was outside the city police department’s jurisdiction.
Drolc explained that the department’s policy is that only the pursuing vehicle and a supervisor will continue on a chase outside the jurisdiction. But once law enforcement officials from the appropriate jurisdiction arrive, city police are to allow the officers to take the lead.
Clarke’s car traveled south along Highway 155 into Cleveland, indicated Drolc, who continued in the pursuit behind Vasquez. Highway 155 becomes Center Street as the road enters Cleveland.
After crossing Main Street in Cleveland, Clarke reportedly continued south on Center Street, which becomes Flat Bus Loop.
As the loop turns back into Cleveland, Clarke was reportedly unable to take the turn at the speed he was traveling and left the surface of the road.
Deputies with the Emery County sheriff department responded to the scene and filed the accident report.
With the evasion suspect’s vehicle disabled, Vasquez overtook Clarke and placed the Orageville resident into custody.
Clarke was transported back to Carbon County and booked into jail by Bowman on public lewdness, trespassing and felony failure to respond to a police officer’s command to stop charges.
The lewdness and trespassing charges purportedly occurred before the suspect left the district court complex in Price.