On a summer day in 1993, the life of Dennis Lavelle Lund, a 37-year-old Caucasian male, was cut short in the line of duty. On June 16, 1993, Lund, a Trooper with the Utah Highway Patrol, was involved in a high-speed chase on Interstate 70. The pursuit began after two individuals in a stolen vehicle were reported to have stolen gasoline from a service station in Thompson Springs, Utah.
The suspects, later identified as two teenagers aged 16 and 18, fled the scene, initiating a dangerous chase with law enforcement.
As the pursuit intensified, the suspects began firing a. 22-caliber rifle at the pursuing officers. In a heroic attempt to get ahead of the fleeing vehicle and warn other motorists of the impending danger, Trooper Lund was struck. A bullet pierced the windshield of his patrol car and fatally wounded him in the left eye. Despite the grievous injury, Lund managed to safely guide his vehicle to the side of the road before he succumbed to his injuries. The chase came to an end when another officer successfully shot out a tire on the suspects' vehicle.
The two suspects were taken into custody at the scene without further incident. The juvenile suspect was charged as an adult and was ultimately found guilty of aggravated murder. The second suspect was sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole. Both individuals were held accountable for their roles in the tragic death of Trooper Dennis Lavelle Lund. Subsequent reports indicate that both individuals have since been paroled.
