MAGNA, Dec. 18, 2024 (Gephardt Daily) — Police say a fatal crash Tuesday night in Magna is tied to a shooting that happened earlier in the evening in West Valley City.
WVCPD Lt. Burke told Gephardt Daily, the crash, which claimed a woman’s life on eastbound U-201 at 8000 West around 9:10 p.m., involved a fleeing suspect who had allegedly shot and wounded another man about an hour before.
According to Burke, West Valley City police responded to the shooting near 3800 W. Rockwood Way at approximately 8:20pm. When officers arrived, they located a male victim with a gunshot wound to the leg.
The wounded man, identified as the brother of the alleged shooter, had suffered significant blood loss, Burke said, and was transported to the hospital in critical, but stable condition.
The shooter fled the area, Burke said, and 50 minutes later was involved in the fatal three-car crash in Magna.
The suspect escaped on foot and multiple agencies joined in the search using drones and a Department of Public Safety helicopter.
Police obtained the suspect’s phone number and were able to make contact with him, Burke said. After speaking with officers, he turned himself in.
The Utah Highway Patrol called in crash scene investigators to determine the cause of the accident.
Gephardt Daily will update the story as more information becomes available.
