EVANSTON — Uinta County Sheriff’s deputies assisted deputies from the Summit County Sheriff’s Office in putting a wrong way driver on I-80 under arrest, with charges yet to be determined through investigation of the incident.

The event, dangerous and extending over several hours and two states, resulted in the perpetrator ramming a Uinta County Sheriff’s deputy vehicle head-on in an attempt to elude.

Uinta County Sheriff Doug Mathews said Monday, “This was an extremely dangerous situation that went on for several hours across two states endangering a number of people. It could have ended with someone being killed or seriously injured. No one was seriously injured and we can replace a patrol truck.”

The event started with the Uinta County’s Sheriff’s Office receiving a notice from Summit County Sheriff’s Office of an attempt to locate on a blue minivan Sunday evening, June 28. The minivan had been reported as a wrong-way driver on I-80 near Park City. Shortly after that report another motorist reported a male subject in a blue minivan had fired a gun at his vehicle and was eastbound on I-80.

Deputies from the Uinta County Sheriff’s Office checked back roads coming into Uinta County from Summit County and watched for the vehicle coming into Wyoming from Utah, but it was not located at this time.

At about 10:30 p.m., Uinta County dispatch received a report of a wrong way driver on I-80 about milepost 35, near the west exit into Bridger Valley, traveling west in the eastbound lane. A Uinta County Sheriff’s Deputy was in the area and near milepost #32 attempted to stop the vehicle, which came to a stop and then accelerated towards the deputy’s vehicle deliberately trying to ram it, according to a press release by Uinta County Sheriff Doug Mathews.

The minivan then drove through the median and onto the westbound lanes of I 80 traveling west, heading west as a wrong-way driver. At exit #24, near the railroad tracks at the Leroy Exit, the minivan exited the interstate drove down the off-ramp turned around quickly and then accelerated heavily traveling east up the westbound-off ramp towards the deputy’s vehicle. The deputy, reportedly Jarrod Asay, put his vehicle in reverse and started backing up the off ramp as quickly as he could, Mathews reported, but the minivan crashed head-on into the deputy’s vehicle causing the vehicle to leave the roadway and roll.

The deputy was not seriously injured and was able to exit his vehicle and confront the suspect driver of the minivan as he exited his vehicle with two small children, one in each arm. The suspect, identified as William Blattel of California, refused to stop and was considered armed. After numerous commands to stop, Blattel removed a handgun from his pocket and threw it at the officers. Blattel was taken into custody and transported to Evanston Regional Hospital for medical clearance.

Blattel’s children, ages three and six, were not injured in the crash and taken into Protective Custody by the Sheriff’s Office. Blattel, who admitted to using marijuana and methamphetamine, was booked into the Uinta County Detention Center. The Uinta County Attorney will screen the incident to file the appropriate charges, according to Matthews report.