SUMMIT COUNTY, Utah (ABC 4 News) - A desperate father leads police on a high speed chase-- with his young kids in the back seat! It's all caught on camera.
If it looks like the driver of a van (seen in police dash-camera video) was in a hurry - he was.
"Speeds reached 100 miles an hour," said Corporal Todd Johnson, Utah Highway Patrol.
Troopers with the Utah Highway Patrol said Sunday night they had to chase down 30 year old Robert Hills - twice.
Trooper: "Stay right here. Hey! Give me that. Give me that bottle you just dropped."
They already pulled him over once. And it looked like he'd been drinking.
Trooper: "Put your hands on the hood and don't move."
Hills’ wife and four children wait in the van. When the trooper turns to talk to a witness off camera, Hills makes a run for it. Desperate to get away, Hills weaves through traffic, hits a cone, and for nearly 20 minutes leads troopers on a high speed chase through Summit County. At one point Hills and his family were going as fast as 115 miles per hour.
Eventually Hills pulls over after troopers spike his tires. He gets out of the van and gives himself up. Once officers arrest Hills, they pull his four young children out of the van. And his wife starts sobbing.
Woman: (crying) “Please don't hurt my kids.”
Trooper: “We're not going to hurt your kids Ma'm."
While troopers detain the family, the woman begins yelling to her children.
Woman: (crying) "I love you guys! Jasmine! Jasmine!"
Troopers then try talking with the man to get the family's story.
Trooper: "What was going on today man? Where you guys headed?"
Hills: "California."
Trooper: "What part?"
Hills: "Uh, Hollywood."
Hills explains his family is from Connecticut and driving across country on vacation. He didn't pull over because he has a record.
Trooper: "...not too smart to run too much when you have your four kids are in the car right? You could've rolled or blown that spare tire man."
Hills: (crying)
Troopers said they gave up the chase at least once because it was too dangerous. But finally decided it was safer to stop him.
"If he continues down the road he could end up injuring or killing his own passengers or someone in another vehicle,” said Johnson.
No ever did one get hurt. But now, Hills may find it tough to stop this chase from hurting his record. It's unclear what was on it before, but soon you can likely add speeding, reckless driving, DUI, eluding police, and avoiding arrest.
