Car crash spreads anguish
Douglas Butcher, 36, of Salt Lake City, was driving a Porsche through the intersection at 1700 S. Main St. on Friday about 7:30 p.m. when a westbound pickup ran a red light and slammed into the car.
The pickup was fleeing a Utah Highway Patrol trooper who had attempted to pull the truck over for erratic driving.
The crash's impact sent the pickup and Porsche off the road — the pickup slamming into pedestrian Knut Odland, 49, who died Saturday.
Brennon Tolley, of Salt Lake City, is a friend of Butcher's and was in a car following Butcher's.
Plans for the group of friends to go out to dinner were tragically cut short by the crash, Tolley said.
Tolley said he saw a trooper with his gun drawn, and the truck driver getting on the ground. Then an officer tried to stop Butcher's bleeding with some blue padding.
And there was Tolley, trying to tell Butcher he would be OK.
Butcher is at University Hospital with a ruptured aorta and little brain activity, Tolley said. The left side of Butcher's skull was crushed and has been removed as well, and doctors are unsure about Butcher's prognosis for recovery.
The crash has left questions in Tolley's mind about law enforcement pursuit policies.
According to the Utah Highway Patrol, the trooper attempted to pull the truck over at 1750 S. State for erratic driving and pursued the truck until it crashed at 1700 S. Main. The truck's driver was wanted on a parole violation out of Virginia.
Steve Butcher, Douglas Butcher's brother, said Douglas never had a chance.
"Things happen and we can't explain them," Steve Butcher said.
"You have no idea what it's done to our friends and the Butcher family," Tolley said. "I'm so paranoid I can't even drive. I have to have someone drive me home."
Salt Lake police late Saturday said the driver of the truck remained hospitalized and under guard.
E-mail: jdougherty@desnews.com
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