A routine roadside repair along a lonely stretch of Interstate 80 turned deadly in seconds when a FedEx delivery truck drifted off the road and slammed into a disabled pickup on the eastbound shoulder, killing one man and catastrophically injuring another.
The entire sequence was captured on the commercial truck's camera last week, and the Utah man who was driving the delivery truck is facing decades in prison.
Chris Shepherd, 63, of West Jordan, Utah, has a preliminary hearing set for Wednesday in Sweetwater County Circuit Court following his Friday arrest for the April 22 crash, acording to court documents.
An affidavit of probable cause in his case says Shepherd was heading east on I-80 near mile marker 112 when he veered onto the shoulder and plowed into a GMC pickup that had been pulled over with mechanical trouble.
Two men were standing outside the truck at the time.
Trying to Fix a Door
Brandon Summers and Richard Royse had pulled off the highway after their pickup began overheating, the affidavit says. They were checking the transmission fluid and trying to fix a driver’s side door that wouldn’t latch.
It was the kind of roadside problem thousands of drivers deal with every day.
“Upon arrival, Trooper (James) Keeley observed a GMC Sierra pickup pulling a flatbed trailer on the right shoulder with damage to the driver’s side,” the affidavit says. “A prone, adult male on the right shoulder in front of the GMC pickup, whom appeared to be fatally injured, later identified as Brandon Summers; and a FedEx truck with two trailers near the right of way fence."
Summers stood near the pillar of the truck just behind Royse as they worked, according to a third man who was in the back seat of the pickup when the crash happened, the affidavit says.
“They had pulled over onto the shoulder to check the transmission fluid as it was starting to overheat,” the other man told the Wyoming Highway Patrol, the affidavit says. “The two front seat occupants, Summers and Richard Royse, got out, checked the fluid and then entered the truck.
“The driver’s door would not latch, so Summers and Royse exited the vehicle to fix it."
Then the FedEx truck came.
Investigators say Shepherd swerved onto the shoulder and struck the back of a trailer attached to the GMC, launching the right side of the delivery truck into the air.
Cameras mounted inside the FedEx vehicle captured video of the men desperately trying to escape, the affidavit says. Though they tried to move out of the way, one of them didn’t make it.
“Just before the FedEx truck collides with the subjects and vehicle, Summers and Royse run in what appears to be an attempt to avoid being struck,” the affidavit says. “The FedEx truck overrode the rear of the flatbed trailer, launchign the passenger sid of the FedEx truck up in the air.
“As the FedEx continues forward toward the two male subjects, it falls back down toward the road."
Summers was crushed, then dragged in front of the pickup and into the borrow ditch, where he was killed on impact, according to the affidavit.
Royse survived — barely.
Court records describe his devastating injuries that include his left leg broken in multiple places, twisted and displaced, with his big toe “hanging on by a small amount of flesh.”
Driver Seen ‘Bouncing’ Before Crash
The video evidence paints an unsettling picture of the moments before impact, the affidavit oulines.
Inside the cab, cameras show Shepherd “bouncing up and down in the seat” before leaning back and drifting forward toward the steering wheel, a camera inside the FedEx truck shows. The affidavit says he did not react to the disabled truck until after the collision had already happened.
The affidvit does not say why the delivery vehicle left its lane and went onto the shoulder of the interstate.
Shepherd is now charged with multiple crimes, including aggravated homicide by vehicle — a felony punishable by up to 20 years in prison and a $10,000 fine. He also faces a charge of ggravated assault and battery, punishable by up to 10 years in prison; and failure to maintain a single lane, a misdemeanor carrying a $200 fine.
A warrant for Shepherd’s arrest was issued Friday, and he was taken into custody the same day.
Court records show he has requested a public defender.
Bond has been set at $100,000 cash or surety, and strict conditions have been imposed. Shepherd is prohibited from leaving the county, consuming alcohol or controlled substances, possessing firearms, or contacting the surviving victim.
Kolby Fedore can be reached at kolby@cowboystatedaily.com.
