A Utah police chase ended with a Japanese family at gunpoint after they accidentally led highway police into a high-speed chase on an interstate near the Arizona border.

Police first noticed the family's car around 1 am, when they spotted it swerving between interstate lanes at less than 40 miles per hour. Officers thought they were observing a DUI in progress and tried to pull the car over.

Instead, the car sped up, eventually leading three patrol cars while other officers laid spikes on the highway ahead. Seven miles after the chase began, the car's tires were punctured.

According to officers, the occupants of the car — a woman, her husband, and their seven-year-old son — were terrified.

The woman said she had no idea what she was supposed to do when the patrolman put on his lights and siren, so she sped up to get out of the way. She kept apologizing for crashing the car, not realizing they ran over tire spikes, Horne said. Patrolmen took the family to a motel and wished them safe travels.

The family will not face any charges.

[image via Shutterstock]