'I told her I would stay,' says officer who crawled under bus to comfort pinned victim

WEST VALLEY CITY — For nine years, West Valley police officer Kevin Peck has protected and served the citizens of his city by trying to keep the streets safe from the criminal element.

But on Monday, as Peck responded to the area of 3650 South and 3200 West, it wasn't with his gun or handcuffs that he served the community. Rather it was with a simple gesture of holding a hand, and providing thoughtful words and a listening ear.

Peck was just around the corner when a Utah Transit Authority bus struck 24-year-old Aryann Smith in a crosswalk, pinning her underneath the large vehicle and severely crushing both of her legs. He was one of the first officers to arrive at the scene.

When Peck got there, all he saw was a tennis shoe sticking out from underneath the bus.

"I figured that there was probably a victim lying on to the ground next to the bus or in front of the bus. And as I got a little bit closer, I could see a white tennis shoe underneath," he said.

As Peck assessed the situation, he quickly found out the woman had suffered severe injuries. The tall officer crawled underneath the bus himself to take the woman's pulse. But after he grabbed her hand, he didn't let go until fire crews were eventually able to lift the bus off of her and pull her out.

"She was very scared. She asked me not to leave. So I said I would just stay under there with her until we got her out. And she started telling me about her family and where she was headed. She was actually going to see a little boy who was being watched by her mother just down the road around the corner," Peck said.

"I told her that I would stay there."

Peck teared up Wednesday as he recounted the incident to the Deseret News.

For the most part, Peck said Smith remained remarkably calm under the circumstances. But there were also moments when she became very frightened.

"She was afraid she was going to die. And myself being under there, I'm just praying and hoping for some reason the bus doesn't move. We're right next to the tire underneath the bus, just trying to reassure her and keep her calm," he recalled.

West Valley fire crews put blocks around the bus to prevent it from moving.

Initially, Peck said he couldn't even see Smith's face because it was covered with blood and her hair. But he could see how badly her legs were injured.