Family escapes injury in I-70 rollover

A family of six traveling east on I-70 from Salt Lake City to Grand Junction, Colo., escaped injury Dec. 21 when their vehicle rolled on I-70 at mile marker 181 about 1.5 miles west of Crescent Junction.

The driver of the Chrysler Mountaineer lost control of the vehicle at about 6:20 p.m. after swerving to miss another vehicle that had pulled to the side of the road because of mechanical problems. The other vehicle was not completely off the road, according to a report from the Utah Highway Patrol, and was partially blocking the lane in which the Mountaineer was traveling.

As the driver of the Mountaineer swerved to miss the other car, the vehicle rolled one and a half times, coming to rest on its roof.

The father and mother and four children, ages 6 months to 6 years old, were not injured in the crash. All occupants of the Mountaineer were either wearing seat belts or restrained in car seats, UHP investigators said. The vehicle was severely damaged and was towed from the scene, according to the UHP report.

Police investigate vandalism

A Moab woman contacted police Dec. 16 to report that a tire on her vehicle had been slashed.

A Moab City Police officer who responded to the call reported that a 1.5-inch gash was visible on the front tire, according to a city police report.

Police are searching for leads in the case.

Police investigating theft from business

The Moab City Police Department is investigating the theft of cash, a notebook computer and other computer-related items from a Main Street business.

The business owner contacted police Dec. 15 to report that someone had apparently broken into the business over night. He said the computer and cash as well as flash drives, computer software, speakers and a computer hard drive were missing from the display cases at the store, according to a report from the Moab City Police.

The items were valued at more than $1,300, according to the report.

Man arrested for intoxication

A Moab man was arrested Dec. 15 after he was found asleep on a bench at Walker Drug. When police approached the man, 38, he admitted to “drinking a lot of vodka,” according to a report from the Moab City Police Department.

The man, 38, is homeless, according to the police report. He was arrested and booked into Grand County Jail on charges of intoxication.

A friend of the man had contacted police after finding him asleep on the bench. The friend told police he was worried that the man would fall asleep outside and freeze to death in the cold temperatures.



Police investigate report of child in car trunk

A west side woman contacted police on Dec. 13 to report seeing a small child shoved into the trunk of a white car parked across the street from her home.

Moab City Police officers who responded to the call contacted the owners of the vehicle, who allowed them to search the vehicle’s trunk. The car’s owners said they had been unloading luggage from the vehicle, including several small duffel bags. Police found only luggage in the trunk, according to a Moab City Police Department report.

The woman, 79, said she was convinced she saw a child, about 6 to 8 years old, being put into the trunk, but she thanked police for investigating, according to the report.