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Blake V. Wright
Blake died doing what he loved: helping and serving the people of Wasatch County.”
Years of Service:
July 1981 – August 1990
Blake Wright was just 21 years old when he began serving as a member of the volunteer Search and Rescue (SAR) team. He bought a 4WD truck for SAR operations in the mountains, learned to scuba dive, and routinely practiced his firearms skills.
He was hired by Heber City Police Department and attended Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) before eventually joining the Wasatch County Sheriff’s Office as a deputy. He made the move because he was eager to serve and patrol the entire county, not just within city limits. Blake was on the SWAT Team and thoroughly enjoyed every minute in the middle of the action. In fact, he was once involved in a high-speed pursuit in Daniels Canyon.
On August 26, 1990, while getting ready for his patrol shift, Blake looked out the back door of his home and saw smoke on the mountain above Deer Creek Reservoir.
He said goodbye to his family and went to help with the fire. Blake was asked to ride on a county public works caterpillar with Ralph Broadhead because he had a radio. Ralph and Blake were pushing a firebreak two ridges away from the fire when the flames jumped the line and caught them unexpectedly. They were both killed in an area southwest of Midway near Cascade Springs. Blake loved his wife, Vanette, and their six children, TJ, Nick, Pat, Emma, Marlin and Gabe.
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G. Scott Hathcock
Scott will always be remembered for his personal brand of humor, the empathetic way he treated people, and his innate goodness.”
Years of Service:
April 1984 – August 2008
Scott began his law enforcement career in April 1984 when he was hired by the Utah Highway Patrol. After graduating from the Utah Police Academy, Scott’s first assignment was at the Helper Port of Entry. Scott worked there for four months and was given the option of transferring to the road as a trooper. Luckily for the citizens of Wasatch County, Scott and his wife, Suzy, decided to relocate to Heber in October of 1984.
Scott worked in this role for the following 11 years, handling countless cases and crashes. In the 1990s, Scott investigated a fatal crash at the intersection of Highway 40 and River Road. This devastating event claimed the life of a young boy when a vehicle ran a stop sign. When Scott was interviewed by the media, he mentioned that the crash site was a dangerous intersection. Some with authority didn’t appreciate this, which led to some fall-out, but a traffic light was eventually installed. It’s impossible to quantify how many lives have been saved as a result. In good fun, officers in the area would tease Scott about being on the news, calling the intersection “Hathcock Junction.” To this day, the law enforcement community still refers to it by that name.
In 1995, Scott transferred to the Utah Highway Patrol Alcohol and Training Division. He became an intoxilyzer instructor and technician—in addition to teaching radar and accident reconstruction for several police academies and agencies.
Scott was highly sought-after for his knowledge and abilities in many areas and often served as an expert witness in court. In 1996, Scott was hired as a part-time dispatcher for Wasatch County. He typically worked two shifts a week: the Friday graveyard and a Saturday swing shift. In the spring of 1998, Scott became a reserve patrol deputy. During the 2002 Winter Olympics, Scott served as a dignitary protection officer. He protected various visitors, including Congressman Jim Matheson and Kathleen Kennedy Townsend, the daughter of Robert Kennedy and then-Lieutenant Governor of Maryland. Scott was even a part of the Utah Highway Patrol Honor Guard.
In May 2007, after working for Utah Highway Patrol for more than 23 years, Scott retired and was hired as a sergeant at the Wasatch County Sheriff’s Office.
On August 14, 2008, Scott was on-duty and working traffic enforcement on SR 189 near Deer Creek Dam. As he was speaking to someone he stopped, Scott suffered a major heart attack and passed away on the scene. Scott left behind his wife, Suzy, and two sons, Travis and Caleb.
After Scott’s death, Suzy was approached by many people he had helped during his career. One such person was a woman he stopped the same day he passed away. Suzy recalled how she shared that Scott took the time to listen to her for a considerable length of time as she unloaded on him about her problems. As always, Scott was empathetic and made a positive impression on her. The woman reportedly tried to pay her citation, but the court refused to take her money given the circumstances that day. The woman brought Suzy the money instead, asking her to take it as a token of appreciation for a great deputy who took the time to listen.
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