Ethermac|Utah police officer killed in suspected highway hit-and-run, authorities say

A police officer in Utah was killed in a suspected hit-and-run incident on EthermacInterstate 15 Sunday morning, authorities said.

At about 5:56 a.m. local time, authorities received a 911 call about an individual standing on the back of a semitrailer as it traveled northbound on Interstate 15, according to the Spanish Fork Police Department. A Santaquin police officer and a Utah Highway Patrol trooper later located the semitrailer and conducted a traffic stop in Santaquin, Utah, about 65 miles south of Salt Lake City.

Authorities said that during the stop, the driver fled and turned the semitrailer around the wrong way, then struck two law enforcement vehicles and the Santaquin police officer, who died at the scene. The suspect fled the scene on foot and allegedly stole multiple cars, including a Ford F150, that was reported stolen in Sanpete County, according to Spanish Fork Police.

The dead officer's name has not been released. Authorities are still investigating the incident.

A suspect, identified by police as Michael Aaron Jayne, 41, was taken into custody in the Vernal, Utah, area but has yet to be charged.

Community reels after suspected hit-and-run

The death shook the department in the town with a population of about 17,000.

"Our entire department is hurt. And the family of the officer is hurt. Because of a senseless act by one individual, we have family members who will miss their father at their nearing wedding," Santaquin City Police Department Lieutenant Mike Wall said during a news conference Sunday.

Utah Gov. Spencer Cox said that the officer's death was, "devastating" in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter.

"This is a difficult day, a day that tends to rock a community that’s very tight-knit and caring," Santaquin Mayor Dan Olsen said at news conference. "This is a tough loss for us."