The man who ran over and killed a Santaquin police officer in May of 2024 and was eventually caught in the Vernal area was in court this week. On May 5th, 2024, Michael Jayne was pulled over in the semi he was driving in Utah County before driving away. He headed northbound a short distance, turned around the wrong way, then it is alleged that he intentionally ran over an officer. After a sequence of stealing multiple vehicles, Jayne was eventually located in Vernal where he fled from officers at high speed before crashing. He was brought into custody and transported to a hospital to recover before going to jail. The officer killed was Sgt. Bill Hooser. The Utah County Attorney’s Office announced early on that they are seeking the death penalty in the case against 43-year-old Michael Aaron Jayne and his defense claimed this week in court the collision was unintentional. As it now stands, the case will go to trial.
