Utah man killed in Emery County mountain rollover

By Michael McFall

| The Salt Lake Tribune

First Published Nov 27 2012 05:40 pm • Last Updated Nov 27 2012 09:29 pm

The community of Huntington is mourning the death of the president of the Emery County Farm Bureau, who was killed on Nov. 21 after his pick-up truck rolled off a mountain road in Emery County.

Jordan Hatch, 46, was driving down Gentry Mountain in a one-ton Chevrolet outfitted with a cattle rack holding two horses in the bed of the truck. The terrain is treacherous and the road is "steep and very wash-boardy," according to a news release quoting Emery County Sheriff Greg Funk.

Hatch lost control of the truck, which rolled at least once down the road before going down a 150-foot embankment. Hatch, who was not wearing a seat belt, was ejected from the truck and suffered fatal injuries, Funk said. One of the horses died in the rollover as well.

A friend who had been up the mountain with Hatch came down the same road soon after, saw Hatch’s dogs running loose and subsequently found the wrecked truck.

Deputies were dispatched to the accident at 7:06 p.m.

"We sent our rope responder rescue crew to climb down the embankment, but it was too late, the victim was pronounced dead on the scene," Funk said. In the news release, Funk described the accident as unfortunate and attributed the cause of the crash to the cattle rack and road conditions.

"An unexpected death such as this rocks a community," Funk said. "We need everyone to band together and continue their support of the Hatch family during this time of need."

Hatch worked as an associate professor in the Heavy Equipment and Trucking Department at USU Eastern.

mmcfall@sltrib.com

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