A truck driver is accused of killing a Utah police officer by driving into him

Police successful Utah accidental a motortruck operator killed a constabulary serviceman with his rig during a postulation stop

SANTAQUIN, Utah -- A motortruck operator allegedly killed a constabulary serviceman during a postulation halt connected a Utah road Sunday by driving his rig into the officer, constabulary said.

A Santaquin constabulary serviceman and a Utah Highway Patrol trooper had stopped the semitrailer astir 6:30 a.m. aft idiosyncratic called 911 to study that a idiosyncratic was lasting connected the backmost of the rig arsenic it was headed northbound connected Interstate 15.

Spanish Fork constabulary said the antheral began driving disconnected during the stop, past turned the semitrailer astir earlier driving the incorrect mode connected the interstate. The rig crashed into 2 constabulary cars and the Santaquin officer, who died astatine the scene.

Police identified the motortruck operator arsenic Michael Aaron Jayne, 41. He was not booked into jailhouse yet and had nary lawyer connected grounds to remark connected his behalf, constabulary said.

Authorities person not released the dormant officer’s name.

“Our full section is hurt. And the household of the serviceman is wounded due to the fact that of a senseless enactment by 1 individual,” Spanish Fork constabulary Lt. Cory Slaymaker said during a quality conference.

The halt occurred connected I-15 successful Santaquin, a municipality of astir 14,000 radical 65 miles (105 kilometers) southbound of Salt Lake City.

Authorities allege that Jayne fled connected ft and stole vehicles, including a pickup truck. He was arrested aboriginal Sunday pursuing a abbreviated pursuit successful the Vernal area, immoderate 160 miles (260 kilometers) eastbound of Santaquin, according to police.

Who was riding connected the backmost of the semitrailer and wherefore was inactive being investigated, Slaymaker said.