A road-rage confrontation on an early morning stretch of state Route 201 in West Valley City ended in the fatal shooting of 50-year-old Jose R. Ramirez on October 7, 2024. The incident began about 5:20 a.m. when Ramirez, driving a black Dodge Ram pickup, merged across two lanes in front of a Ford Explorer driven by 44-year-old Thomas Jim Long. Dashboard camera footage shows Long repeatedly brake-checking Ramirez while Ramirez swerved into Long’s vehicle. Both vehicles then swerved and collided with a concrete barrier near 1000 West.

After the crash, Long walked to the driver’s side of Ramirez’s truck and fired 15 rounds at close range. Troopers found Ramirez dead in the driver’s seat, still wearing his seatbelt; an autopsy determined he had been shot eight times from no more than three feet. Investigators recovered 15 shell casings and no weapon from Ramirez or his vehicle. Long was arrested and in a 911 call shortly after the shooting said Ramirez had pulled something from his waistband and threatened him.

Prosecutors charged Long with first-degree murder and multiple counts related to discharging a firearm, arguing he escalated a traffic dispute. Long was convicted on several felony counts for discharging a firearm and sentenced to prison. Does anyone have dashcam footage, witness observations, or other information about the moments leading up to the crash and shooting?