Police: Naked woman leads officers on car chase in Salt Lake City suburb

Police: Naked woman leads officers on chase

WEST VALLEY CITY, Utah — A woman was undergoing a mental evaluation Tuesday after police say she stole two vehicles, including a police cruiser, and led officers on a chase through two Salt Lake City suburbs — all while naked.

Police Capt. Tom McLachlan said doctors do not believe drugs or alcohol led to the woman’s erratic behavior, which also included running through sage brush.

The chase finally ended when she was subdued with a stun gun after climbing a chain-link fence.

“It appears there may be mental issues involved,” McLachlan said.

He said the woman is in her early 30s, but her name was not being released. He said doctors need to finish a medical assessment before police decide whether to pursue charges.

The chase started in West Jordan when the already unclothed woman left her car, climbed into another car that was running and drove away, McLachlan said.

He said she wrecked that car, then ran off — still naked — into some sagebrush. A police officer spotted her and called for backup, not knowing what to expect from the woman.

When another officer arrived, the woman charged them both, slipped through their grasp and took off in one of their cruisers, ramming it through a large gate, McLachlan said.

That ride ended in nearby West Valley City when the woman failed to make a sharp left turn and the cruiser ramped off a berm and traveled about 50 feet before crashing to the ground hard enough to bend the vehicle’s frame, McLachlan said.

“That car that she took is a total loss,” he said. “I think there’s a hubcap that’s still usable.”