James Edward Saccato, a 63-year-old White male from West Point, Utah, was remembered by family as a good man with an infectious laugh who would do anything to help others. His life ended following a road rage incident in Clearfield on the evening of June 3, 2024. The encounter began on State Route 193 when the Chevy truck Saccato was driving allegedly cut off a Ford Ranger driven by 34-year-old Justin Kent Doman.
According to charging documents, Saccato then brake-checked Doman at least
three times. Doman responded by honking and making a rude gesture. As they neared an intersection, Saccato allegedly slammed on his brakes again, causing Doman to rear-end his truck. When Saccato drove away from the collision, Doman called 911 and began a high-speed pursuit. While on the phone with dispatchers, Doman admitted to hitting Saccato’s truck again, at one point ramming its side after Saccato made a U-turn. Surveillance video captured the two vehicles speeding through residential streets with tires squealing.
The chase ended when Saccato stopped his truck in the middle of a neighborhood road, got out, and walked toward Doman’s vehicle. Saccato, who was unarmed, approached the driver's side window. A witness reported that Saccato bent down to speak to the driver. Doman then fired a single gunshot from inside his truck, striking Saccato in the chest. James Saccato died at the scene.
Doman remained at the scene and was cooperative with police. He was initially questioned and released, but investigators continued to gather evidence. On June 20, 2024, authorities arrested Justin Kent Doman and charged him with first-degree murder. At the time, prosecutors stated that Doman’s actions had provoked the final confrontation and that he was the aggressor in the series of events that led to Saccato's death.
Doman was incarcerated for over a year and a half before his case went to a jury trial. His defense attorney argued that Doman had acted in self-defense and in defense of his vehicle, a protection recently added to Utah law. The defense claimed Doman was following Saccato at the direction of the 911 operator and that Saccato had reached into the truck's window in an attempt to take Doman's gun.
In February 2026, a jury found Justin Kent Doman not guilty of murder, determining that he had acted in defense of himself, his vehicle, or both. He was found guilty of separate drug and firearm charges and was released from jail following the acquittal.
