Man who crashed following high speed pursuit claims gas pedal was stuck - East Idaho News
Idaho Falls

Man who crashed following high speed pursuit claims gas pedal was stuck

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IDAHO FALLS — An Idaho Falls man told police his gas pedal got stuck after he crashed into a pickup following a high-speed pursuit Saturday evening.

Jeffrey Pister, 24, is facing one felony charge of fleeing or attempting to elude a police officer and one misdemeanor charge of driving without privileges.

Court documents show Pister was traveling with a passenger on Bone Road in Bonneville County when they approached a Fish and Game Check Station near Eagle Pass Road.

A Fish and Game officer said Pister drove past a sign warning drivers of the check station ahead. In a probable cause statement, the officer said Pister pulled off to the side of the road and a woman stuck her hand out of the passenger window and dropped something.

Pister is then accused of driving past the check station while the officer drove to the area where he had stopped and found fresh beer cans and litter.

The officer then followed Pister and attempted to stop his vehicle.

A pursuit began as Pister drove west on Sunnyside Road, approaching speeds of 100 mph, according to court documents.

The officer radioed for Idaho State Police and Bonneville County sheriff deputies to assist in the pursuit.

Pister entered a subdivision at 45th East and John Adams Parkway. The chase ended a short time later, documents state, when he left the subdivision and crashed into a red pickup truck, which ended up in a canal. The driver of the pickup was not hurt.

bonneville crash
A red pickup truck ended up in a canal after being hit by a vehicle following a pursuit Saturday evening. | Kevin Hansen, EastIdahoNews.com.

Pister and his passenger were taken into custody. When asked why he didn’t stop, Pister told officers his gas pedal got stuck, and he couldn’t slow down. Documents state he apologized several times and claimed he didn’t throw anything out the window except grass.

The passenger told police the reason Pister stopped was his speedometer was broken and he wanted to download an app to check his speed. She also claimed she threw grass out of the window and begged Pister to stop because she was scared.

Pister has an extensive criminal record with offenses ranging from driving violations to assault on an officer.

He was booked into the Bonneville County Jail on $20,000 bond. He has a preliminary hearing scheduled for Nov. 4.

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