x
Breaking News
More () »

Man driving from Utah tells police he wanted to kill former Missouri senator

The man was arrested after a high-speed chase in Utah

SUMMIT COUNTY, Utah — A man who was arrested early in Utah after a high-speed police chase told authorities he was on his way to Missouri to kill former Senator Claire McCaskill.

A Utah police officer was patrolling Interstate 80 in Summit County, Utah when he noticed a man speeding, according to a probable cause statement obtained by 5 On Your Side. The officer turned on his emergency lights and sirens and chased the man. 

At one point, speeds reached 130 mph and the driver was passing others with a "wanton disregard for people and property."

Another officer used spike strips to stop the vehicle. The driver was arrested.

"He smelled of an alcoholic beverage and his eyes were glassy and bloodshot," the statement says. "There was an empty 12 pack of Budweiser beer in his vehicle as well as a partially consumed other 12 pack."

Officers also found an unknown chemical substance in the man's car, which will be sent to a crime lab for testing.

The man told officers he was also high on Adderall and LSD. Officers took the man to a nearby fire station to be evaluated.

On the way to the fire station, the man made several "real threats" to McCaskill, the statement says. 

He stated that he was on his way to Missouri to kill her if she wasn't dead already. 

A spokesperson from the Utah Highway Patrol told 5 On Your Side that the Utah Bureau of Investigations is looking into the case and is communicating with federal partners.

Summit County, Utah is just east of Salt Lake City and about 1300 miles from St. Louis.

After she lost her bid for reelection in 2018, McCaskill has been working as a political analyst for NBC and MSNBC. She lives in the St. Louis area. She made several appearances on the cable news network on Election Day and the days following.

RELATED: Claire McCaskill joins NBC, MSNBC as political analyst

Before You Leave, Check This Out