A quiet night out turned tragic in Eagle Mountain, Utah, when a 34-year-old father was struck and killed by an on-duty Utah Highway Patrol trooper. The incident has shaken the community and raised new questions about officer oversight and rural road safety.
Jack Wilcoxon and his wife, Mandie, were taking a nighttime walk on Jan. 7 when the patrol vehicle came toward them near Lake Mountain Road and Pole Canyon Boulevard. It was about 9:40 p.m. Authorities say the trooper was working but was not responding to an emergency.
Wilcoxon died at the scene. His wife survived. The trooper, whose name has not yet been released, was immediately placed on administrative leave.
Local residents say the stretch of road where the crash happened is dark, narrow, and known for heavy patrol traffic. One neighbor described it as “a dangerous corner nobody pays attention to until something awful happens.”
Wilcoxon was a U.S. military veteran, a husband, and a father of three. His children are 8, 10, and 15. Friends say he was deeply devoted to them.
“Jack was the heart of his home,” said a family acquaintance who helped set up a fundraiser. “He was the dad who showed up to everything — games, school events, all of it. This loss is unimaginable.”
The GoFundMe page created for the family paints a picture of a man whose presence defined his household. “Jack died after being struck by a Utah Highway Patrol vehicle, leaving Mandie and her children to carry a loss no family should have to endure,” the organizer wrote. “Please hold this family in your hearts.”
More than $7,000 has been raised so far, with donations coming in from across the state.
The Utah Department of Public Safety confirmed the trooper’s leave status, calling it standard procedure. But some locals want more answers.
“How does something like this happen on a quiet night with no emergency?” one Eagle Mountain resident asked. “People are scared, and they deserve the truth.”
The Utah County Sheriff’s Office is investigating. Officials say the case will be sent to the Utah County Attorney’s Office once the review is complete.
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