Draper resident warns of dangerous trap after narrow escape

DRAPER — A young woman in Draper is raising awareness about a terrifying incident on Fort Street near City Hall. The 20-year-old said she encountered what she believed was a setup meant to stop her car, leading to a life-threatening encounter.

The incident occurred in late February, just before 1 a.m. as she was returning home from a friend's house. While driving along the dimly lit, rarely traveled road, she noticed several garbage cans obstructing the lane. As she slowed to navigate around them, she soon realized that something was deeply amiss.

"I feel like maybe halfway through, I realized this is a trap," said the woman, who chose to remain anonymous.

Initially thinking the trash cans might be part of a prank, her fears escalated when she spotted a figure standing in the road ahead. She said the man then swung at her vehicle with what she believes was a machete.

"I almost thought he was going to shoot me. So I ducked, gunned it, all at the same time. He came, he swung at my car, I swerved, and then somehow called 911," she recounted.

Draper police commended the woman's quick thinking and instincts.

"If it's the middle of the night and there's a guy standing in the middle of the road with an object, he's probably not there to help you," Draper Police Lt. Mike Elkins said.

Officers urge residents to trust their intuition and to report anything out of the ordinary.

"Anything that's out of the ordinary like that, we are always happy to come look at it," Elkins said.

Following her report that evening, police believe they apprehended the individual responsible for the incident. The victim is now speaking out to warn others to remain vigilant.

"I felt like it was important to make people aware," the woman said. "I was like, this guy is going to kill me if I don't get away."

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