EAGLE MOUNTAIN, Utah — For the first time since an Eagle Mountain community lost a husband and father in a tragic auto-pedestrian crash, loved ones are speaking out and remembering Army veteran Jack Wilcoxon.
Family friend Jamie Buckner-Bridges shared how Jack and his wife, Mandie, were just starting to put down their roots in the neighborhood, having moved to Utah from North Dakota in September. Jamie said the couple chose the area because of its reputation for caring for its veterans, like Wilcoxon, who served six years as a medic in Afghanistan and Iraq.
The couple bought a house and were falling in love with Utah’s mountains, but now Mandie and her three children are left deep in a grieving process. According to Buckner-Bridges, Jack and Mandie were out for a walk on Jan. 7 when Wilcoxon was hit and killed by an on-duty Utah Highway Patrol trooper.
UHP trooper placed on administrative leave after accident that killed Eagle Mountain man:
Despite the difficulties faced by the community following the crash, they want people to honor the 34-year-old Wilcoxon by surrounding everyone involved in the crash with compassion.
“The details of the accident are not what we’re focusing on," said Buckner-Bridges. "We’re really focusing on love and compassion and support for both Mandie and the officer. We have two families whose lives have really been devastated.”
Services are being planned as Mandie tries to move forward and care for her children amid the grief. Donations are requested to support the family with both funeral expenses and everyday living costs.
Even without a monetary donation, Buckner-Bridges said people can help keep Wilcoxon's spirit alive through acts of kindness in their own daily life.
