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BEAVER — A man who told a woman they were going to die by getting into a crash was arrested Thursday after being spotted driving nearly 120 mph, police say.
Lee Andrew Brewster, Jr., 21, was booked into the Beaver County Jail for investigation of aggravated kidnapping, reckless driving, failing to stop for police, DUI, marijuana possession, possession of drug paraphernalia, making a threat of violence and driving without insurance.
On Thursday, police in southern Utah were told to be on the lookout for a reckless driver on I-15 who was "suicidal and had a female passenger with him," according to a police booking affidavit.
A Utah Highway Patrol trooper spotted the car in Beaver County traveling 118 mph in an 80 mph zone. The trooper attempted to pull the vehicle over, but Brewster led the trooper on a chase for another six miles before stopping in Millard County, the affidavit states.
The trooper then got out of his car and at gunpoint ordered the occupants of the stopped vehicle to get out and walk toward him one at a time, according to the affidavit.
Brewster showed several signs of impairment after he was placed in handcuffs and marijuana was found in his vehicle, the trooper noted.
Investigators talked to the woman who said she and Brewster were at a motel in Parowan when "Lee stated that he intended to kill the victim and himself via murder-suicide. When asked how he intended to do it, she said he claimed that he would crash the car while they drove to New York," the arrest report alleges.
The woman showed troopers cellphone videos she recorded after Brewster sped away with her. The videos "clearly showed the terror and distress the victim was under as she begged Lee to slow down and let her out," the affidavit says. "During each video, Lee did not slow down and exhibited reckless driving patterns while weaving in and out of traffic. One of the videos taken by the victim confirmed the excessive speeds and a clip of the dashboard displayed 119 mph."
Troopers also noted that Brewster "has had multiple interactions with law enforcement over the last couple days" and that "the very fast escalation of crimes" is evidence that "there is a clear willful and wanton disregard for public safety."
