SALT LAKE CITY — Three years after a fatal crash in Big Cottonwood Canyon, two men have been charged for the deaths of a woman and her unborn child.
On Aug. 15, 2022, a dump truck heading down the canyon (west on SR-190) rolled and crashed into an oncoming Honda Pilot. The driver of the Honda, 36-year-old Jessica Keetch Minnesota of West Jordan, died from her injuries. Court documents state that Minnesota was also 12 weeks pregnant.
The two men charged were the driver and the operator of the company that owned the truck.
WATCH: West Jordan woman killed, others injured in Big Cottonwood Canyon crash (2022 segment)
The driver, 36-year-old Jonathan Ryan Sargent, told police that the truck's brakes went out. He said he was going 25 miles per hour in a low gear initially, but that the truck "popped out of gear," court documents state. He said he deliberately turned into the hillside as he drove through a curve, and that's when his truck tipped over.
Charging documents state that, according to the investigation, the truck Sargent was driving was likely traveling at 54 mph at the time of the crash. The speed limit in that area is reportedly 25. A witness told police that she saw the truck "at a very high rate of speed and showed no signs of slowing," court records state.
Investigators said they conducted a test with an empty dump truck in that same area and found that in order to reach 54 mph, a truck would need to be traveling at 35 at the point of the 25-mph speed limit sign. They also said there were two turnout points Sargent could have used once he realized the brakes were failing, or turning into the hillside before reaching the curve.
The investigation also found that at least two of the truck's six brakes were out of service — "due to faulty maintenance and the brakes being out of adjustment."
In addition to Sargent, 31-year-old Dalton Nathan Wheeler was charged in the case. He is charged both personally and as a representative of Alpine Excavation, LLC, which owned the truck. Court documents state that Wheeler operated the company.
The charging documents state that during litigation, investigators found that the truck involved in the crash had other known issues, including a tendency to "pop out of gear."
On Tuesday, both Wheeler and Sargent were charged with second-degree felony manslaughter.
