Mystery as Utah girl, 16, is ran over and killed by semi-truck on busy highway
A 16-year-old girl tragically died after she was run over by a semi-truck on a busy highway in Utah.
Jessica Santiago, of St. George, was walking along Interstate 15 early Friday all by herself when she was mowed down by the large truck around 6.30am, police said.
At the time of the horrible incident, no other vehicle was found nearby, suggesting that Jessica was on foot, Lt. Cameron Roden with the Utah Highway Patrol told St. George News.
The unidentified truck driver was not injured in the crash, Roden added.
It remains unclear why the teenager ended up on the freeway and why she was walking in the southbound lanes, but according to her brother, she 'stepped out of the home' the night before while her family slept.
When they woke in the morning, Jessica was nowhere to be found so her concerned loved ones reported her missing to the police before hearing of the crash, her brother, Omar Santiago, told the outlet.
Omar said he and the rest of the family do not know why his younger sister would have left the house, especially after everyone was asleep for the night.
'All we know is that, when we woke up, she wasn't home. We don't know how she got on that side of the freeway or what happened exactly.
'We just have as many questions as the investigators do. We're unsure how everything unraveled.'
Omar said his late sister 'was not suicidal' and did not 'leave a note or anything' behind.
'She was a light in our home who will be dearly missed,' he said, adding that Jessica was 'a hard worker who cared about all of those around her.'
A family member also created a GoFundMe page to help support her grieving family during this time.
'Jessica was a bright, kind, and beautiful soul who brought joy and light to everyone who knew her,' the organizer wrote.
'Whether it was her infectious laughter, her gentle spirit, or her passion for music, art, and most of all, helping others. Jessica left a lasting impact on all our lives.'
'She was a daughter, a sister, a friend, and a beacon of hope. Her time with us, though far too short, was filled with love, compassion, and unforgettable memories.'
As of Wednesday afternoon, more than $4,500 was raised.
A public funeral mass is set to be held Saturday at St. George Catholic Church before Jessica's remains are sent to a final resting place in Mexico.
Another service will be held for her on June 16, according to the donation page.
DailyMail.com contacted the Utah Highway Patrol for more information on the investigation.
Soon after the crash, the road was shut down for a bit before authorities let vehicles back on.
While they slowly re-opened the highway, a second crash took place involving three vehicles, per the outlet.
Those involved suffered several minor injuries. One person had to be transported to a nearby hospital for evaluation, according to authorities.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Telegraph
26 minutes ago
- Telegraph
Live Donald Trump is named in Epstein files, claims Musk
Elon Musk has dropped a bombshell accusation, claiming his former close friend Donald Trump appears in the Epstein files. The claim was part of a spectacular war of words between the world's most powerful men, with the president claiming the Tesla boss has 'Trump derangement syndrome', and Mr Musk insisting Mr Trump only won the election because of him. Mr Musk said in a post on X: Time to drop the really big bomb: @realDonaldTrump is in the Epstein files. That is the real reason they have not been made public. Have a nice day, DJT! — Elon Musk (@elonmusk) June 5, 2025 Earlier in the day Mr Trump told reporters during a sit-down with Friedrich Merz, Germany's new chancellor: 'Elon and I had a great relationship. I don't know if we will anymore.' In February, Pam Bondi, the US attorney general, pledged to release all of the information the government holds on Epstein, which have come to be colloquially known as the 'Epstein files'. She invited a select group of pro-Maga influencers to the White House where they were handed binders containing what she said was 'Phase One' of the full document release. However, the 200-page document contained only phone-book contacts and flight logs, most of which have been available since 2015, and no date has been set for releasing the remaining files.
Daily Mail
26 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Murder suspect shoots himself live on video call during police interview
A suspect in a 14-year-old cold case murder suddenly shot himself dead during a video interview with police. Michael Wayne Thomas, 54, has been a person of interest since Julie Mitchell was beaten to death in her home, aged 34, on November 2, 2010. Julie was found stuffed in the closet of the master bedroom in her house in Oklahoma City with $30,000 missing from the nearby safe. Her one-year-old daughter was sitting next to her body when police arrived. Thomas was an associate of Julie's husband Teddy Mitchell, who was on a plane to California at the time of the murder. He was interviewed by police and the FBI five or six times, denying any involvement in the murder despite his company checkbook being found in her house. Oklahoma City Police, for reasons they refused to explain, negotiated setting up another interview with Thomas on Saturday. After initially agreeing, he changed his mind and negotiated a virtual interview with his lawyer Ed Blau also on the video call. 'Beggars can't always be choosers, and this is somebody we wanted to talk to, we needed to talk to. There were questions we needed to have answered by him,' Master Sergeant Gary Knight said. 'He chose to pull out a pistol and shoot himself, ending his life.' From the moment the call started at 10am, Thomas wouldn't let the police get a word in, constantly rambling about nothing helpful. 'He didn't give me an opportunity to ask him any questions. He controlled the conversation from start to finish,' Detective Bryn Carter told KWTV-9. 'At about 40 minutes through the interview, he produced a firearm and took his own life. 'In 31 years on the police department doing hundreds of hundreds of interviews, I've never had anyone commit suicide in front of me.' The shocked detectives and lawyer watched Thomas shoot himself, then collapse and his phone clatter to the ground. 'The phone landed right by his head so we got to hear him die, hear the death rattle. It was as shocking and horrific as you can imagine,' Blau told The Oklahoman. Blau said Thomas told them 'I'm just worried about my daughter's safety' just before he shot himself, and 'I really hope you solve the case'. Police refused to release any part of the interview, or any officer's reports pertaining to it or why Thomas was being interviewed yet again. Thomas' body was found in woods outside the Kansas Star Casino in Mulvane, near Witchita, Kansas, where Blau didn't know he was until after his death. Thomas, then an insurance salesman, was intimately involved in Mitchell's life due to their mutual interest in gambling. Julie's murder exposed the illegal underground high-stakes poker games Mitchell was running out of their home, along with unlawful sport betting. Thomas told the FBI in 2011 he played in Mitchell's games and placed bets with him, racking up debts so big he let Mitchell become a partner in his insurance business as a means of settling them. He also provided the insurance to Mitchell's properties and vehicles. 'Him taking his own life without answering the questions that I needed answered to eliminate him as a person interest,' Carter said. 'It speaks volumes that maybe he couldn't answer those questions.' Thomas is still considered a suspect in the case after his death. Mitchell was never publicly accused of involvement in his wife's murder, but he was jailed for 27 months in 2014 for federal conspiracy to commit money laundering, and forced to turn over $1 million in property to the government.
The Independent
38 minutes ago
- The Independent
BBQ joint sued by family after 4-year-old child allegedly burned by ‘dangerously hot' sauce
A Texas family is suing a popular BBQ chain, claiming that a four-year-old suffered second-degree burns from its 'dangerously hot' sauce last year. It's the third complaint filed against Bill Miller Bar-B-Q in San Antonio in less than a year. The latest family alleges the restaurant's barbecue sauce is served at unsafe temperatures, which resulted in the child suffering severe burns. Rose Roque filed the complaint in Bexar County District Court on May 29 and accused Bill Maher Bar-B-Q Enterprises of 'gross negligence.' She is seeking $1m in damages and claims the sauce spilled onto the child's face and body during a visit to the restaurant on May 30, 2024. The lawsuit alleges that an employee at the location at Loop 410 and Culebra Road placed an uncovered tray of sauce on the table within reach of the child, according to court filings obtained by News4SA. The unsecured container then tipped onto the child, causing him to allegedly suffer second-degree burns. The Independent has reached out to the company for comment. In court records, the family claims the restaurant has exhibited a pattern following the two other prior suits. The incident, Roque's attorneys said, is emblematic of a pattern of carelessness. Bill Miller employees 'habitually and routinely' overheat their barbecue sauce, failing to monitor or regulate the temperature before serving it to customers, the complaint states, according to the outlet. Additionally, it claims that the company has neglected to train or supervise staff on how to safely handle and serve hot items. In January, the company was forced to pay out $2.8m to Genesis Monita after a Bexar County judge ruled in her favor. Monita said she also sustained second-degree burns, which left permanent scarring on her thigh. The jury in that case determined the restaurant chain was liable. In another lawsuit, a separate customer sued the chain after they said they suffered severe burns at another location. The plaintiff said the sauce was so hot it burned part of her upper leg after melting through her jeans. All of the recent lawsuits claim the company has struggled to follow its own policies, alleging that Bill Miller's operations manual states barbecue sauce should be served in a Styrofoam cup. All of the plaintiffs said the sauce was not served in a Styrofoam cup. Additionally, Roque's attorneys said the restaurant withheld security footage that showed the moment of her son's injury. The plaintiff claims the footage exists, but the company has decided against providing it.
