UPDATE: Driver comes forward after Trailside racing post garners wide response

Photo: Summit County Sheriff’s Office

SUMMIT COUNTY, Utah — The Summit County Sheriff’s Office says a driver accused of racing through residential streets in the Trailside neighborhood has come forward, and the situation has been resolved with a verbal warning.

In an update posted to Facebook on Tuesday afternoon, the Sheriff’s Office said the owner of the vehicle contacted deputies after the original social media post gained widespread attention online.

“Well… the internet did its thing,” the agency wrote. “The owner of the vehicle reached out to us, we had a great conversation, and everything has been resolved.”

The original post followed multiple calls from Trailside residents around 9 p.m. Monday reporting that a driver was allegedly speeding and racing up and down neighborhood roads. Deputies were unable to locate the vehicle that night and asked the public for help identifying the owner.

According to Sgt. Skyler Talbot, spokesperson for the Summit County Sheriff’s Office, the driver was the CEO of a company using the vehicle to film content for social media.

Talbot said the vehicle “was certainly faster than it should be in a neighborhood,” but that the speeds did not warrant “heavy-handed enforcement.”

He said the driver’s willingness to promptly contact deputies and take responsibility also factored into the decision to handle the incident with verbal education and a warning rather than issuing a citation.

While the initial post used humor to get people’s attention, the Sheriff’s Office said the concern behind it was serious.

“Racing through residential neighborhoods is dangerous, and the calls we received from Trailside residents were legitimate,” the agency said. “We want our neighborhoods to be safe places where kids can play, families can walk, and everyone can enjoy their evening without worrying about speeding vehicles.”

The Sheriff’s Office also thanked community members who shared the post, provided information, and kept the discussion respectful.

“Sometimes a little humor helps get people’s attention, but the message remains the same: please slow down in our neighborhoods.”

The agency reiterated its broader message that residential streets are not the place for high-speed driving and encouraged motorists to help keep Summit County neighborhoods safe.