KEARNS, Utah, Jan. 15, 2025 (Gephardt Daily) — A Unified Police officer is in fair condition after being struck by a vehicle overnight while directing traffic away from an overnight strip mall fire in Kearns.
Unified Fire crews responded to the reported fire, near 4700 West and 5415 South, at about 3:43 a.m. Wednesday.
“Once we got there, we quickly took a defensive stance, because there was so much flame and smoke there,” Unified Fire spokesman Benjamin Porter told Gephardt Daily.
“The structures were a complete loss. So our trucks put their sticks in the air, and we were able to put the fire out with our aerial spraying. We were fighting it for about three hours. There were no injuries at the end of the fire, and it’s still under investigation, they are not suspecting arson.”
Porter said firefighters learned afterward about the injury to a Unified Police officer on scene to support the fire crews.
Unified Police Sgt. Aymee Race told Gephardt Daily the officer injured “was outside their vehicle directing traffic when a vehicle came and collided with the officer,” Race said.
“The officer was transported to a local hospital in fair condition, and is still at the hospital being evaluated,” she said at about 10:15 a.m.
“The officer did sustain some injuries, and will probably be off work for a little bit of time.”
West Valley City police will be conducting the investigation since a UPD officer was involved, Race said, adding she had no additional information to release at the time.
