Fleeing car blamed in fatal crash

OGDEN — Two people were killed early Tuesday after their car was struck by another vehicle apparently trying to evade police, authorities said.

Philemon Ellis, 62, and 21-year-old Jessica Nelson were killed when a car allegedly driven by Eddie Raymond Bustos, 48, Ogden, slammed into their car at the intersection of 24th Street and Grant Avenue.

The car ran a red light and slammed into the passenger-side door of Ellis and Nelson's vehicle. Ellis and Nelson were declared dead at the scene.

Police had stopped chasing the car that caused the accident at least a block before. The officer had turned off his lights and siren and was stopped at a red light at 25th Street and Grant when he witnessed the accident in front of him, said Ogden Assistant Police Chief Randy Watt.

The incident began about 2:45 a.m. when officers were keeping surveillance on a house where there had been some recent gang activity, Watt said. A vehicle pulled up at the house, a man went inside and then came back out 20 minutes later, he said.

The driver got into his vehicle and began driving erratically. He had a hard time maintaining his lane and continuously drifted into the oncoming traffic lanes, Watt said.

An officer attempted to pull the vehicle over, but the driver did not stop. The ensuing chase lasted 12 to 15 blocks but never reached excessive speeds.

The speed limit through that area varies from 25 to 35 mph. The fleeing driver was traveling between 40 to 45 mph, Watt said.

Traffic was extremely light in that area at that time of the morning, he said. But the on-duty police supervisor decided it was still too risky to continue the chase and told the officer to stop. The officer immediately turned off his overhead lights and ended his pursuit, Watt said.

Just moments later, the accident happened.

Bustos was treated for a broken elbow at a local hospital. A teenage girl also in the car with Bustos was taken to the hospital to be treated for minor injuries. Both were expected to remain in the hospital until today.

The relationship between the teen and Bustos was unknown Tuesday, as was the relationship between Ellis and Nelson.

The investigation into the crash will be handled by the Utah Highway Patrol and the Weber County Attorney's Office to avoid a conflict of interest.