- The family of slain Santaquin Police Sgt. Bill Hooser filed a lawsuit on Nov. 26.
- They are suing Michael Jayne, Sierra Nevada Trucking LLC and Valley Fine Foods.
- The lawsuit claims wrongful death negligence and seeks $300,000 in damages.
SANTAQUIN — The family of a Santaquin police officer who was killed in the line of duty is suing the truck driver accused of hitting and killing him, as well as the companies the man was working for at the time.
Sgt. Bill Hooser's wife Kinda Hooser is suing Michael Jayne, Sierra Nevada Trucking LLC, Valley Fine Foods and five unnamed people in the wrongful death lawsuit filed Nov. 26.
On May 5, 2024, Hooser and a Utah Highway Patrol trooper stopped Jayne, who was driving an 18-wheeler semitruck, which the lawsuit states was owned by Sierra Nevada Trucking LLC and carrying a shipment for Valley Fine Foods.
According to court documents, as officers were preparing to arrest Jayne, he sped off, then quickly made a U-turn and drove directly at the officers, striking and killing Hooser, and then fled from the area.
Jayne, 43, is charged with capital murder in Hooser's death. He's also facing additional charges for allegedly spraying a deputy at the Utah County Jail with an unknown liquid. He is still awaiting trial.
Police have said that "Jayne has an extensive criminal history with violent offenses over the last 20 plus years," including convictions of assaulting and threatening police, resisting arrest, felony evading and domestic violence assault. He was on federal probation at the time of Hooser's killing.
"Billy was fatally injured because of Jayne's operation of the truck," the lawsuit states.
The lawsuit argues that since Valley Fine Foods frequently ships goods, which uses semitrucks along the interstate, placing drivers in "peculiar and important positions in which they must operate large vehicles safely," that the company should ensure delivery drivers are competent, safe, and not violent to deliver their goods.
"Valley breached this duty by hiring Jayne, as owner and operator of Sierra, despite his extremely long and violent and unsafe criminal history — which includes several violent crimes and even attempted murder," the lawsuit states, adding that the company "knew or should have known of Jayne's unsafe history, and the great risk he presented to other persons on the road."
The lawsuit claims Valley Fine Foods "breached their duty by not vetting or investigating Jayne's history, to verify whether he was a competent, unsafe, or violent person."
Jayne was an agent for Sierra Nevada Trucking, as a driver, or was an employee or contractor of Valley Fine Foods, and he was performing "the course and scope of his duties as the driver of the semitruck for the benefit of the businesses," the lawsuit states. The lawsuit argues that both companies are "vicariously liable" for Jayne's alleged actions.
The filing also notes the emotional distress and impact on Kinda Hooser and the Hooser family.
"Billy's death caused an immediate and profound loss to Kinda, depriving her of the love, society, companionship, comfort, protection, affection, moral support and consortium previously provided by her husband," the lawsuit states.
Kinda Hooser and her attorneys are requesting a jury trial and seeking more than $300,000 in damages.
