Early Thursday, Salt Lake City officers pulled over a car that was heading east in the westbound lanes of Interstate 80 near 7400 West, bringing a dangerous wrong-way run to a halt. In the backseat, they found an injured passenger who was unresponsive. Two men were taken into custody at the scene, and the injured person was rushed to a hospital.
According to KUTV, Salt Lake City police discovered the car had been reported stolen out of Casper, Wyoming. The Utah Highway Patrol told KUTV that all three people inside were intoxicated and that one passenger had “noticeable recent injuries” and was not responsive when officers arrived.
Investigation and regional context
Wrong-way calls on Interstate 80 are a familiar problem for state troopers, who routinely log serious crashes and close calls on the corridor. The Utah Department of Public Safety maintains a steady stream of press releases documenting I-80 crashes, wrong-way incidents and other traffic emergencies that often require coordination among multiple agencies. Those updates frequently highlight stepped-up impaired-driving enforcement during high-risk periods. Local officials say joint work between Salt Lake City police, the Utah Highway Patrol and nearby county agencies is standard when investigations spill across jurisdictional lines.
Charges and booking
The driver was identified as 50-year-old Joshua Thomas Wallowingbull Sr. He was booked into the Salt Lake County Jail on a second-degree felony count of receiving or transferring a stolen vehicle, along with misdemeanor counts of wrong-way DUI, open container in a vehicle and a second DUI within 10 years, KUTV reported. Utah Highway Patrol troopers described Wallowingbull as physically cooperative but verbally aggressive during the stop. Officials say a second passenger was also arrested in connection with the reported assault, and investigators are working with Tooele County authorities to figure out how that assault occurred.
Troopers reiterated that cracking down on impaired driving remains a top priority and asked anyone with information about the assault or the stolen vehicle to contact law enforcement. The Salt Lake City Police non-emergency line is (801) 799-3000 for tips and additional information.
