‘He’s going to be missed’: Lengthy procession carries fallen Utah officer home

SANTAQUIN, Utah (KSL.com) — A dozen officers stood at salute on the I-15 overpass at 10600 South in Sandy, the red and blue lights of their cruisers reflected against the rain-soaked pavement, as a mileslong procession carried the body of fallen Santaquin Police Sgt. Bill Hooser from the medical examiner’s office in Taylorsville south to his hometown on Monday.

The morning’s downpour subsided as the procession approached along its 60-mile journey to Santaquin. One woman unfurled an American flag over the interstate as several other onlookers solemnly observed the hundreds of police cruisers and ambulances deliberately making their way down the center of the highway.

Even with the lanes cleared of traffic, the spectacle took nearly nine minutes as officers from jurisdictions across the Wasatch Front — led by officers from Santaquin — escorted Hooser.

RELATED | Semi driver fled, then turned around and hit, killed Utah officer, police say

Abby and Kaylie Hansen, sisters and family friends of Hooser, were among those who braved the wind, rain and near-freezing temperatures in Sandy to pay tribute to Hooser.

“It’s a lot, but knowing what field he was in, we’re just proud that he was able to put himself on the line like this and couldn’t be more proud to know this man and call him part of my family,” Abby Hansen said, adding that her mother is “best friends” with Hooser’s sister. “It just shows how much support is behind his field and his family and his community.”

The procession carrying the body of fallen Santaquin police Sgt. Bill Hooser as it passes the I-15 overpass at 10600 South. pic.twitter.com/qeIkcFML4X

— Bridger Beal-Cvetko (@BealBridger) May 6, 2024

She said Hooser will be remembered as a “great man,” and said she hopes people will remember to support police officers “because they sacrifice every day.”

“He was an honest man,” she added. “He’s a family man and he’s going to be missed. He was goofy, he was funny, and it’s going to be a tough one to get over.”

Although they didn’t have a direct connection to Hooser, about a dozen others showed up to honor him and offer support.

Hooser was deliberately struck and killed by a semitruck driver early Sunday, police said, prompting an outpouring of support from law enforcement and officials across the state. The driver of the semi was apprehended about midday Sunday in Vernal following an extensive manhunt.

The officer has been identified in social media posts and a GoFundMe account that has raised a significant amount of money for the late officer’s family.

Hooser’s brother spoke with KSL on Sunday and said the family is “pretty heartbroken, it’s hard.”

“We had plans this summer,” he said. “Everybody out there listening, if I can give them any advice, it’s to hold your loved one a little tighter. Make phone calls, tell them you love them — especially the ones you don’t get to see every day.”

The sergeant leaves behind a wife and two children, the youngest of whom is to be married soon.

“He was a pretty great guy,” his brother said. “Gave his life doing something that he loved and in the service of others.”

He also extended the family’s gratitude to law enforcement and police agencies across the state — many of whom gathered on overpasses along I-15 to pay their respects as Hooser was taken to the medical examiner’s office in Taylorsville.

Just before 6 a.m. Sunday, the Utah Highway Patrol’s Richfield office received a call about a person standing on the back of a semitruck as it drove north, Spanish Fork police said. About 6:30 a.m., the semitruck was located by a Santaquin police officer and a UHP trooper, and they initiated a traffic stop.

“During the traffic stop, the driver of the semi fled and drove northbound a short distance before turning around and driving the wrong way back toward the Santaquin officer as well as the UHP trooper,” Spanish Fork Police Lt. Cory Slaymaker said. The semitruck then hit the Santaquin officer and his vehicle, as well as the trooper’s vehicle. The officer died at the scene.

Investigators provided more details Monday.