Commuters on Interstate 15 faced significant delays after a police chase involving a semi-truck ended with the vehicle catching fire near Beaver, Utah. The pursuit began on Thursday around 3:30 p.m. when authorities received reports of the truck driving erratically on westbound Interstate 70, as reported by KUTV.

The truck driver failed to pull over when prompted by a Sevier County deputy, leading to a coordinated effort with the Utah Highway Patrol to bring the vehicle to a halt. According to Sevier County Sheriff Nathan J. Curtis, as cited by KSL, officers attempted to stop the semi using tire spikes. Despite punctured tires, the suspect managed to continue driving south onto I-15 before coming to a stop three miles north of Beaver.

Once halted, with smoke resulting from the friction on the rims, the semi-truck burst into flames. "Charges are pending as we work to determine the details of the truck ownership and other evidence is processed. We will release more information as it is available," Sheriff Curtis said, per KSL. Emergency teams, including the Beaver Fire Department, responded to the scene, extinguishing the flames and subsequently closing down the southbound lanes for cleanup operations, as noted by FOX 13.

The driver of the vehicle was taken into custody shortly after exiting the flame-engulfed semi. While the specifics of the pending charges have not been disclosed, officials confirmed that the investigation was ongoing to ascertain the series of events that led to this hazardous incident on the interstate. Traffic cameras captured the resultant congestion, providing visual proof of the disruption experienced by travelers. The highway has since been reopened, but local authorities urge drivers to remain vigilant and to always report reckless behavior on the roads, to possibly prevent such dangerous situations.