The man who ran over and killed a Santaquin police officer and was eventually caught in the Vernal area last May was in court this week. The Utah County Attorney’s Office announced last month that they are seeking the death penalty in the case against 42-year-old Michael Aaron Jayne. On May 5th, 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 intentionally ran over the officer with the semi. 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 who leaves behind a wife, two daughters, sons-in-law, and a new granddaughter. This week’s court proceedings scheduled Jayne’s hearing to begin May 12th, 2025.
