A Duchesne County man is scheduled for sentencing this month after entering Guilty pleas last month to Negligently Operating A Vehicle Resulting In Death and Negligently Operating A Vehicle Resulting In Serious Bodily Injury. Court documents paint a tragic picture of the events that occurred over the New Year’s Eve holiday 2022. Twenty-two year old Jaden Eckes was driving a stolen Dodge Ram 2500 at about 8:45pm when a fatal hit and run traffic accident occurred at 4100 South Redwood Road in Salt Lake County. Officers were notified that Eckes ran the red light and fled the scene after striking two pedestrians and four other vehicles in the crash. One pedestrian was pushing another wheelchair bound pedestrian across the crosswalk. The first pedestrian was pronounced dead at the scene while the second was transported to the hospital with minor injuries. The driver of a Jeep struck by the Dodge Ram was transferred to a local hospital where it was found she suffered severe trauma to the brain. It was later reported that the driver of the Jeep died from her injuries. Taylorsville Police apprehended Eckes as he was running southbound from the crash site. Eckes had methamphetamine on his person. While being questioned, Eckes stated he had smoked methamphetamine less than an hour prior to the accident and that he was looking for somewhere to ditch the stolen truck as he believed police were after him. Sentencing for Eckes is scheduled for June 29th.
