Driver who ran over officer during “paranoid” episode will claim it was unintentional

A truck driver accused of intentionally running over a Utah police officer earlier this year plans to claim the incident was unintentional, his attorney says. 

Truck driver Michael Jayne appeared in court on Tuesday, September 2nd for a status hearing to address the logistics of the case regarding the May 2024 incident. 

According to… Jayne is facing nine felony charges, including aggravated murder, and may face the death penalty. Jayne walked into his recent court appearance, marking a stark difference from his last appearance where he used a wheelchair and breathing apparatus. 

Jayne’s attorney, Rudy Bautista, says that the death of Sgt. Bill Hooser was not intentional and that Jayne feels remorse over the incident. They plan to use that strategy to argue against the death penalty in court.  

“We are doing everything we can to investigate this case thoroughly,” Bautista said.

“Semi trucks are not sports cars. All that weight, once that tractor is in motion, it’s a very difficult thing to control and stop. That’s what we’ve been spending our time, consulting with and looking into retaining experts to analyze the situation, so that we can get a clear picture of what really happened.”

Jayne’s next status hearing is scheduled for November 13th.