Man arrested after erratic driving and crash on the way to a hospital
Published at | Updated at
IDAHO FALLS — Police arrested a man who allegedly fled from a traffic stop and got into a crash before stopping outside the entrance of a local hospital on Tuesday.
The Idaho Falls Police Department received a call of a car driving erratically and stopping in the middle of the road at green lights. According to an affidavit of probable cause, officers tried to pull the vehicle, which was driven by Blair Alan Morgan, 29, of Rexburg, near 17th Street and Woodruff Avenue.
When the officer tried to make the traffic stop, Morgan is alleged to have kept driving, reaching speeds upwards of 60 mph. Officers followed before a supervisor called off the chase.
Police continued to get calls about Morgan’s erratic driving, with reports of him running red lights, driving into oncoming traffic and nearly hitting other drivers. Eventually, court documents indicate Morgan is believed to have hit another car before driving off again.
Another officer spotted Morgan run a red right at Woodruff while driving westbound on Sunnyside Road. The officer says Morgan then made a big U-turn, across all the lanes to drive eastbound at speeds estimated at 60 to 70 mph.
The officer followed when Morgan eventually turned into the parking lot of Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center. Once at the patient drop-off area, the officer saw Morgan stop and police commanded him to get out of the car.
Once police put Morgan into handcuffs, he said he thought he was dying from a methamphetamine overdose after eating a meth rock. Officers took Morgan inside the hospital where they got him medically checked out before taking him to the Bonneville County Jail.
Police report finding a small bag inside the car with a meth pipe and about .87 grams of the drug.
Morgan is charged with felony attempting to elude police and possession of meth. Prosecutors also charged Morgan with misdemeanor leaving the scene of a crash and possession of drug paraphernalia.
He is scheduled for a preliminary hearing on April 21.
Although Morgan is charged with crimes it does not necessarily mean he committed them. Everyone is presumed innocent until proven guilty.