A routine stop at an Ogden scrapyard turned into a violent scene on Monday when, according to prosecutors, a trailer attached to a pickup truck struck a bystander as the driver allegedly tried to bolt from law enforcement. The truck then smashed into a concrete post, disabling the vehicle. The accused driver, 44-year-old Lyle Shane Trease, was arrested and booked into the Weber County Jail, where he is being held without bail ahead of an initial court appearance.
Charging documents and counts
According to charging documents reviewed by ABC4 Utah, Trease faces a slate of serious charges. Prosecutors list assault on a peace officer causing serious bodily injury, failure to respond to an officer's signal to stop resulting in injury or death, and failure to remain at the scene of an accident involving serious injury. He is also charged with driving on a denied license as a Class C misdemeanor.
The documents allege Trease accelerated eastbound, ran a red light, and swerved across lanes as deputies tried to stop him. Investigators say deputies ultimately decided not to push a high-speed pursuit, citing concerns for public safety while the truck and trailer were already creating a dangerous situation on the roadway.
Scene at the scrapyard and near-miss with officer
Prosecutors say the chaos began at the scrapyard, where the attached trailer allegedly clipped a victim before slamming into a concrete post. The impact reportedly blew out a passenger-side tire, causing the truck to fishtail.
The victim later told investigators that “if she had not stepped out of the way, she would have been hit head-on by Trease's truck,” according to the charging documents. The same filings also allege Trease then drove toward an officer's vehicle as the officer was getting out, coming close enough that deputies viewed it as a near miss before calling off the pursuit, as detailed by ABC4 Utah.
Background: prior run-ins with police
Public records and earlier reporting suggest this is not the first time a man with Trease's name has drawn law enforcement scrutiny. In a 2020 case in Roy, FOX13 reported that a suspect named Lyle Shane Trease was arrested after allegedly hitting a patrol car and speeding toward an officer. It is not yet known whether prosecutors plan to bring up any past incidents as this new case moves forward.
Legal implications of the charges
Under Utah law, assault against a peace officer can be treated especially harshly if it results in substantial bodily injury. The enhanced penalties are outlined in Utah Code § 76-5-102.4. The allegation that Trease failed to respond to an officer's signal to stop, particularly in a situation involving injury, falls under the state's traffic code at Utah Code 41-6a-210, which allows for stiffer penalties if serious injury or death is involved.
If a defendant is convicted on the most serious counts in a case like this, Utah law allows for significant prison time and substantial fines. The actual outcome, however, will depend on how the evidence holds up in court and whether prosecutors present any verified criminal history.
What happens next
Trease is scheduled to make his initial court appearance on April 7, where a judge is expected to address arraignment scheduling and any pretrial conditions. For now, the public picture comes almost entirely from the charging documents; more specific details are likely to surface once the case is formally in front of a judge.
