Truck Driver Accused of Intentionally Running Over Utah Officer

A truck driver allegedly killed a police officer during a traffic stop on a Utah highway on May 5 by driving his truck into the officer, police said. Michael Aaron Jayne, 42, has been accused of driving his truck rig into Police Sgt. Bill Hooser. The police officer died at the scene. Another officer at the scene was helping a woman who said she had escaped from the sleeper section of Jayne’s semitrailer. Jayne, of Garrett, Indiana, was arrested on suspicion of aggravated murder targeting a law enforcement officer, kidnapping, burglary, vehicle theft and failure to respond to officers’ signal to stop, according to a police booking affidavit.

“Our entire department is hurt. And the family of the officer is hurt because of a senseless act by one individual,” Spanish Fork police Lt. Cory Slaymaker said during a news conference.

The stop occurred on I-15 in Santaquin, a town south of Salt Lake City.