Confused Japanese tourists trigger highway pursuit

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — A pair of confused Japanese tourists were pulled from their rental car at gunpoint last weekend after they triggered a highway pursuit in southern Utah by not pulling over.

Utah Highway Patrol Lt. Brad Horne says the pursuit started at 1 a.m. Saturday near the Utah-Arizona border when the car was spotted going slowly and swerving.

Horne says he tried to pull the car over, suspecting the driver was intoxicated. The driver sped up and a pursuit began.

Officers threw spikes down, bringing the car to a skidding stop. After the couple failed to follow directions to exit the car, officers approached with guns drawn.

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That’s when officers saw the couple’s son in the backseat and realized they didn’t speak English and were confused.

Authorities don’t plan to pursue charges.

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