Utah County Sheriff Jim Tracy reports that a 53-year-old Springville man is in jail after he led Sheriff’s Deputies and Officers from other agencies on a pursuit through several Utah County cities.
On December 11, 2014, at about 4:10 PM, a Deputy with the Utah County Sheriff’s Office stopped a man he knew to be driving with a driver license that was suspended due to a previous DUI arrest. During the course of the stop the man, Kevin Val Christensen, age 53, of Springville, became agitated and left the scene of the stop. The Deputy who stopped Christensen began to pursue him. Other Deputies followed as Christensen reached speeds in excess of 95 MPH on US Highway 89 coming out of Mapleton entering Springville.
The original location of the stop was Rodeo Drive and Eldorado Drive in Springville and Christensen drove south from Springville, into Spanish Fork, into Mapleton, then back into Springville. He ended up at his home near the location of the original stop. As Christensen drove into Mapleton an Officer with Mapleton Police was able to deploy a spike strip which caused the left front tire to slowly deflate. After Christensen pulled into the driveway of his home he refused to get out of his truck, was combative, and strongly resisted efforts of Deputies and Officers to take him into custody.
Christensen has a lengthy criminal record dating back to 1981. That record includes at least 5 previous arrests for DUI, at least 3 of which ended with a conviction for DUI. More recently Christense was arrested for DUI on 10/29/14 but another Utah County Sheriff’s Deputy. During that arrest Christensen became combative with the Deputy. His history also includes an incident on 12/6/14 where Christensen fled from Mapleton Police. They were unable to detain him during that incident.
Christensen sustained abrasions to his forehead during his altercation with Deputies. He was treated at Utah Valley Regional Medical Center in Provo and is booked into the Utah County Jail on the following charges: DUI-Drugs, Fleeing/Evading, Exhibition of Speed, Suspended Driver License-Per Se, Possession of Methamphetamine by Use, Littering, Resisting Arrest and Reckless Driving. Christensen was also booked on numerous traffic violations.
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