Police ID man killed in Friday crash as 88-year-old American Fork resident


Save Story

Show 1 more video

Leer en español

Estimated read time: 4-5 minutes

This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.

AMERICAN FORK — Police on Monday identified an American Fork man who died after the car he was riding in was struck by a pickup truck that was fleeing from officers Friday morning.

American Fork Police Sgt. Jason Christensen said Hal Gadd, 88, died in the crash. His wife, whose name was not released, remained hospitalized Monday in serious condition after internal injuries were discovered during an evaluation at a hospital Friday afternoon, Christensen said.

"Obviously our hearts just go out to (the Gadd family)," he said. "Not only have they lost a loved one, but they're still supporting and fighting the battle with another loved one that's still in the hospital with serious injuries."

Trevor Shane Pitcher, 21, of West Jordan, was booked into the Utah County Jail Friday on suspicion of manslaughter, evading police and reckless endangerment in connection with the fatal crash at the intersection of 900 West and State Street in American Fork.

A jail report released Monday documented the moments leading up to the crash.

The series of events began when a Utah County deputy pulled Pitcher over for a registration violation in American Fork Friday morning, according to the report. As the deputy approached Pitcher’s pickup truck, Pitcher “put the vehicle into drive and accelerated away,” the report says.

“My understanding was that it was a revoked registration and no insurance traffic stop initially,” Christensen added.

Police pursued Pitcher down Main Street in American Fork, running multiple red lights and "traveling at twice the posted speed limit," the report says. The pursuit went onto I-15 and into Lehi at one point before Pitcher exited the freeway and drove back into American Fork.

According to the jail report, Pitcher told police he was traveling about 50 mph when he entered the intersection of 900 West and State Street and collided with a white passenger car, killing Gadd.

Pitcher later told officers he evaded police because “he was scared based on his past experience with law enforcement.” He also said he did see the deputy behind his vehicle and that the deputy’s lights and sirens were activated at the time he fled, according to the jail report.

“Pitcher also indicated he did not stop because he did not want his truck impounded and he thought officers would eventually stop pursuing him,” the report says.

Trevor Pitcher, 21, was arrested on suspicion of manslaughter, evading police and reckless endangerment in connection with a fatal crash at the intersection of 900 West and State Street in American Fork. (Photo: Utah County Jail)
Trevor Pitcher, 21, was arrested on suspicion of manslaughter, evading police and reckless endangerment in connection with a fatal crash at the intersection of 900 West and State Street in American Fork. (Photo: Utah County Jail)

Pitcher was being held on $25,000 bail, according to jail records.

Court records show Pitcher pleaded guilty to assault in May in relation to a 2016 domestic case. He also pleaded guilty to misdemeanor counts of failing to stop at an officer's command and reckless driving in 2016.

Christensen said that, preliminarily, police no longer suspect impairment in the case. He said investigators are still waiting to receive final results from a blood draw obtained Friday to officially rule it out a factor.

American Fork police were assigned to investigate the chase and crash since the department’s officers weren’t involved in it. That investigation was ongoing Monday.

However, the investigation into any officers' actions, including the decision to pursue Pitcher, will be reviewed by the Utah County Attorney’s Office Officer-Involved Protocol team, according to Christensen. A person at the county attorney's office said they didn't know if an investigation had started. No determination has been made if the deputy’s decision to pursue Pitcher followed the sheriff’s office pursuit policy.

The sheriff’s office provided KSL a heavily-redacted policy in response to a records request Friday to see what the department's pursuit policy is. The policy says “pursuit driving is necessitated by the suspect’s disregard for the law and the safety of others, and the responsibility charged to law enforcement to apprehend such persons.”

While many of the details are redacted, it says the agency's pursuit policy is “set forth in UCA 41-6a-212 … which is designed to promote good judgment and sound discretion.”

That law states agencies can have their own policy but must adhere to the Utah Department of Public Safety’s minimum guidelines. The policy says “each law enforcement officer in an authorized emergency pursuit vehicle may initiate a vehicular pursuit when the suspect exhibits the intention to avoid apprehension by refusing to stop when properly directed to do so.”

It adds different variables, such as “road, weather and environmental conditions; population density and vehicular and pedestrian traffic; the relative performance capabilities of the pursuit vehicle and driver and the suspect vehicle being pursued; the seriousness of the offense; likelihood of pursuit resulting in apprehension; familiarity with the area and road; and any other pertinent factors.”

Christensen asked that anyone who may have witnessed or had video of either the pursuit or the crash to contact American Fork police to assist in their investigation.

Contributing: Sam Penrod, KSL TV

Editor's note: This story has been updated to change the wording in the following sentence from "it remains unclear if the deputy’s decision to pursue Pitcher followed the sheriff’s office pursuit policy" to "no determination has been made if the deputy’s decision to pursue Pitcher followed the sheriff’s office pursuit policy."

Related stories

Most recent Utah stories

Related topics

Utah
Carter Williams is an award-winning reporter who covers general news, outdoors, history and sports for KSL.com.

STAY IN THE KNOW

Get informative articles and interesting stories delivered to your inbox weekly. Subscribe to the KSL.com Trending 5.
By subscribing, you acknowledge and agree to KSL.com's Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.

KSL Weather Forecast