South Utah News

A man with a Kansas driver’s license faces a list of charges after a Utah Highway Patrol (UHP) officer said he drove head-on into another vehicle on I-70 Friday while under the influence in an attempt to end his own life.

3 cars end up in Logan River Saturday morning in separate crashes

Elijah James Schaller, 30, of Kansas, admitted both to intending to harm himself and to having used meth and marijuana prior to the crash. The driver in the car he struck suffered serious injuries after being hit head-on at around 80 mph, though a passenger in the same car was not injured.

Schaller faces charges including:

• Two counts of homicide by assault
• Driving under the influence
• Reckless driving
• Possession of marijuana
• Use or possession of drug paraphernalia
• Interfering with an arresting officer
• Assault on an officer
• Escape from official custody

According to a probable cause statement from Emery County, A UHP officer was sent to the crash on I-70 westbound near milepost 150, just 10 miles outside of Green River. Schaller allegedly told the officer he had been “harassing other vehicles and intentionally tried to hit the other vehicle head-on. He stated he drove the wrong way on the Interstate for approximately 10 miles trying to get the courage to hit another vehicle head-on.”

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Schaller allegedly resisted arrest at the scene and was taken into custody with the help of a civilian at the scene, according to the report. Schaller again tried to escape custody at a local hospital, where he allegedly punched an officer in the nose and had to be restrained with handcuffs. He also tested positive at the hospital for meth, marijuana, and MDMA, according to police.

Original source can be found here.