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SALT LAKE CITY — A minor traffic offense escalated into a road rage homicide early Monday, according to the Utah Highway Patrol.
Thomas Jim Long, 44 — who police believe may have fired up to 15 rounds at Jose Ramirez, 50, of Salt Lake County — was arrested and booked into the Salt Lake County Jail for investigation of murder, aggravated assault and reckless driving.
The incident happened about 5:20 a.m. on eastbound state Route 201 near I-215 in West Valley City and culminated near 1000 West with the shooting and at least one of the vehicles crashing, according to UHP Lt. Cameron Roden.
Ramirez was found deceased inside a black Dodge Ram that had a fire burning beneath it when troopers arrived, a police booking affidavit states. Long was found next to a Ford Explorer also against a concrete barrier.
"Bullet holes were seen going through the passenger window of the black Ram, and the victim had injuries consistent with gunshot wounds. Located around the vehicle were casings with a handgun in a bag on the passenger side of the Ford Explorer," according to the affidavit.
When questioned, Long claimed he was protecting himself, the affidavit states.
Troopers investigating the incident, however, were able to locate dashcam video from an involved motorist that shows Long initially being cut off by Ramirez, according to the affidavit.
"Following this, Thomas Long engaged in aggressive driving behaviors, including brake-checking and cutting off the victim. The footage also shows Thomas Long changing lanes without signaling and swerving in front of the victim. Subsequently, the victim collided with Long's vehicle multiple times," the affidavit states. "The victim activated his turn signal, appearing to prepare for an exit, but then swerved back into the suspect's vehicle, resulting in another collision. In response, Long maneuvered in front of the victim's vehicle, forcing both vehicles into a concrete barrier."
Troopers say that's when multiple shots were fired. A total of 15 shell casings were recovered at the scene.
"These shots resulted in fatal injuries to the victim. At this time, the exact number of shots fired remains undetermined. The magazine that was in the gun was empty and held up to 15 rounds," troopers wrote in their affidavit.
Long allegedly claimed Ramirez "pulled something from his waistband, and he reacted and shot him," the affidavit states. However, troopers noted the serious nature of the case in their affidavit, stating that it "escalated from a minor traffic offense to a homicide" and arrested Long.
The eastbound lanes of S.R. 201 were closed between 900 West and Redwood Road while the incident was investigated.
Anyone with video or who witnessed the shooting is asked to contact UHP at 801-887-3800.
Utah has seen a rash of road rage crashes in recent years, and Roden said the UHP has investigated previous instances of road rage that escalated into shootings. He said troopers have investigated over 40 road rage cases since July.
"We want to make sure that people maintain control of their emotions, that we help get people to and from, and that people can travel on our roadways here in Utah safely," he told KSL-TV.
Contributing: Karah Brackin
Correction: An earlier version listed the location in West Valley City. The crash occurred in Salt Lake City after beginning in West Valley City.
