Driver who ran over officer was holding woman hostage in cab

The truck driver accused of running over a police officer in Utah last weekend was allegedly holding a woman hostage when he was pulled over. 

42-year-old truck driver Micael Aaron Jayne was arrested after attempting to run over a police officer during a traffic stop at about 6 a.m. on Sunday, May 5th. Now, documents regarding the case have been released, revealing that a woman was inside of his cab at the time of the incident. 

According to KUTV 2, Jayne was driving north on Interstate 15 near Santaquin, Utah when a caller contacted police to report that someone was riding on the back of his trailer and “that the ‘Hells Angels’ were targeting the driver of the truck.”

Sgt. Hooser and a Highway Patrol Trooper pulled the semi truck over but “Jayne was uncooperative and would not answer questions from the officers… The officers made several attempts to reassure Jayne of the reason for the stop and that he was not in any trouble with them. They told Jayne they were there trying to help.”

A woman then jumped out of the cab of the truck and ran to officers with her hands up, and that’s when the officers decided to take Jayne into custody. The Highway Patrol Officer then instructed Jayne to step out, but he locked the cab doors and drove away. 

“Sgt. Hooser and Trooper Griffiths began to run back towards their vehicles. As they were running with their backs to the fleeing semi-truck, the driver, Jayne, began to make a sharp U-turn in the northbound lane of travel and began to head south directly towards the officers and female,” the court documents continue. Jayne then accelerated suddenly and “turned the truck directly towards Sgt. Hooser” and hit him from behind, killing him. Jayne then aimed the truck for the woman and the Highway Patrol officer, but they were able to jump out of the way. 

Jayne then drove to a gas station 100 feet away and attempted to steal two vehicles before finding another unlocked semi truck with the keys inside. Jayne then drove the semi truck away. 

Jayne drove to Mona, where he found a 1976 Ford F-250 with the keys also inside and drove it to Nephi, and then Mt. Pleasant. 

“Jayne drove to a remote house where no one was home. He then, after looking through the windows, got back in the F-250 truck and drove it into the garage,” the documents stated. “Jayne entered the home through the garage and stole boots and the keys to a white Ford F-150.”

Jayne then drove to Vernal, where he was located on reports of a stolen vehicle. He led police on a high speed chase until offices were able to stop him with a PIT maneuver. He was then transported to a hospital. 

The woman who exited the cab of Jayne’s semi truck told officers that she was riding voluntarily with Jayne until they got into an argument at a truck stop in Beaver, where he drove away without her. He later came back and then drove off several times, trying to get her to come back on the road with him, until he eventually threatened her with bear spray and a knife, and she got back into the truck out of fear. 

“When officers stopped Jayne and his attention was distracted, [the woman] fled out of the passenger side of the semi-truck and ran around the back of the truck where she made contact with Sgt. Hooser, pleading for help,” the documents stated.

Jayne has a criminal history, including several convictions for assaults on an officer with a deadly weapon and domestic violence. Other prior convictions include  battery on an officer, resisting arrest, threats of violence towards police, vandalism, felon in possession of firearm and body armor, interruption/damage to communication device, and felony evading. In 2010 he was convicted of attempting to run over an Oregon police officer with a vehicle. 

For this most recent incident, Jayne has been charged with aggravated murder targeting law enforcement, attempted murder targeting law enforcement, attempted murder, aggravated kidnapping, felony evading, three counts of vehicle theft, and aggravated burglary. 

As of Sunday, May 12th, Jayne is on federal probation. Sgt. Hooser’s funeral will be held on Monday, May 13th.