This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2017, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
A Utah Highway Patrol trooper hit by an SUV during a traffic stop has been released from the hospital.
"He is doing better than we had expected," UHP Sgt. Todd Royce said Tuesday afternoon. "He did remarkably well for the type of crash [he was in]."
Royce said 27-year-old trooper Devin Gurney initially had been listed as critical when rushed to Utah Valley Regional Medical Center in Provo Monday morning, after the SUV careened into the traffic stop scene on Interstate 15 near Lindon.
Gurney suffered severe leg and other injuries. By Tuesday morning, he had been upgraded to satisfactory condition, and by Tuesday evening he was released to continue his recovery at home. UHP said Gurney was expected to return to duty sometime next week.
The Utah County Sheriff's Office is investigating the crash. Sheriff's Sgt. Spencer Cannon said the SUV's driver, a 48-year-old Orem man, and his passenger had both told investigators that the driver had apparently fallen asleep behind the wheel.
The SUV's driver was in serious condition after undergoing surgery Tuesday to repair a compound leg fracture.
Cannon said the trooper had pulled over another driver in the emergency lane of southbound I-15, and was outside his cruiser when the collision occurred. The SUV slammed into the rear of the cruiser, which then struck the trooper.
The driver of the car which had been pulled over, along with three passengers in the SUV, all reportedly escaped with minor injuries.
While the investigation continued, Cannon said there were no initial indications that the SUV's driver was impaired by drugs or alcohol. "It appears to be fatigue" to blame for the crash, he said.
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