I hope he doesn't get away with murder because he is a cop.

the other driver was at fault for not yielding to emergency traffic. unfortunately he paid with his life. how can that be murder?

CHARLES II - Your remarks don't even deserve the dignty of a reply...I would only hope that next time YOU need a cop you will come to realize how stupid your comment was.

What? your comment makes no sense. I was in support of the cop. People die in accidents every day. It is not murder every time someone dies in an accident.

moabbigjeep, the "other driver" had the green light, and was going 13 miles an hour. Officer Corbett was going 58 miles an hour --in violation of his own department's emergency policy--, did not clear the intersection before careening through the red light, did not call in his position to dispatch or report that he was joining a chase --which wasn't even taking place in his jurisdiction--, and was most likely typing on his laptop computer, trying to find out where the chase was happening instead of paying attention to the road or his driving... How can that NOT be negligence??

Charles II: i hope you realize how stupid you sound. The cop did nothing wrong, the victim failed to yield to an emergency vehicle because he was on pain killers and texting. If you ask me the officer is the victim here.

Yeah, texting while doped up. Wait I got an idea, let's legalize everything and then we wouldn't need cops.

According to the article the cop was on his way (trying to get ahead of the chase) to lay down spike strips not joining the chase.
According to “Friend of John” he was joining a chase uninvited and without his own departments knowledge.
I find it hard to believe that a friend of the deceased could be objective especially in stating the officer was “most likely typing” through the intersection.
An officer driving with lights and siren going 60mph in a 45mph area is not unusual. Upon approach of an intersection that appears “cleared” they go through. If a person traveling 13mph AND NOT PAYING ATTENTION to his driving enters the intersection he could easily be hit. If the officer thought the car was yielding (slowing down not pulling to the right and coming to a complete stop like MANY Utah drivers are guilty of doing) why would he need to wait for a complete stop if the intersection was clear when he entered it?

if the cop was responding to you being robbed or assaulted you might have a different opinion. people are quick to criticize how cops respond to people asking for help. if the accident would not have happened and he would have stopped the chase and apprehended the bad guy he would have been your hero.
The law says to yield to emergency vehicles. that puts some of the responsibility on the other driver. it is sad it cost him his life. but accidents do happen every day and people die in those accidents. we don't always have to place blame on someone. people always want to blame cops for being human.

Friend of John, How can you say he is in violation when in the article says there is no standard and only a draft has been drawn and no standard in place. Maybe if your friend was also paying attention to the road and not his phone or prescription drugs he would have noticed a police officer trying to do his job. Its sad there had to be a death involved but this should definetely not be considered negligence. I don't go to work and risk my neck everyday like we ask these officers too.

It's to bad the driver got killed. But with drugs in his system and texting, he could have very well have hit a citizen himself. I bet he would have seen those bright flashing lights and sirens if he had been following correct driving procedures himself.
The difference between the two drivers is that the cop was the cop's actions were motivated by a desire to help society, the other driver's poor driving was motivated by his own thoughtlessness.

FROM READING "FRIEND OF JOHN'S" COMMENTS.... HE MUST HAVE BEEN SITTING BESIDE THE OFFICER AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT TO MAKE THE CONCLUSION AS TO WHAT THE OFFICER WAS OR DIDN'T DO AT THE TIME OF THE CHASE! AS FAR AS IT NOT BEING IN HIS JURISDICTION.... POLICE AGENCIES RESPOND ALL THE TIME AS BACK-UP TO OTHER AGENCIES. IT IS AN UNFORTUNATE INCIDENT BUT LETS NOT THINK FOR ONE MOMENT THAT IT DOESN'T AFFECT THE OFFICER INVOLVED! HE WILL LIVE WITH THAT MEMORY THE REST OF HIS CAREER.

The "rule of thumb" is that you yield to oncoming emergency vehicles. That is a given. I am appalled at the number of drivers who drive with total disregard to oncoming emergency vehicles whose sirens are blaring and lights are flashing. The drivers do not pull over nor do they stop. I have witnessed drivers continuing through intersections requiring the emergency vehicle to come to a complete stop. That delay can make the difference between life and death, a fire doing more damage all because a stupid driver wasn't paying attention. Turn down your radio people and pay attention to your driving. If you do, you won't get injured or killed by an emergency vehicle responding to an emergency situation. Hard to feel sorry for someone who so blatently disregards the safety of themself and others and then ends up paying the price with his life. When you are driving, you should not be doing anything else but driving. If you're not paying attention, you suffer the consequences of that choice.

Seems to me that I remember as an emergency vehicle driver that I was intructed that lights and sirens do not give you the right of way. They only ask for the right of way meaning it is still the vehicle operators responsibility to make sure that he can get through the intersection safely.

In any authoritarian culture, the cops DO get away with murder.

It's a shame that the discussion about this case always devolves into two camps hurling insults at each other based on half truths and no truths. It is an irreversible tragedy for Mr. Douglas's family. It is a tragedy for Officer Corbett and his family. In the end, it is an accident.

Just remember, violating a policy is not the same as violating a law. If everyone who violated one of their employers rules were in jail, that would be all of us. The question is, did the police officer violate the law? It seems as though the D.A. has tried to make a case because the officer violated policy. The case should be tossed.

I'm no cop lover but the law is the law.
If there is no applicable standard of conduct, you cannot legally be held negligent.
The cop should walk.

The trial would be a loser for the kid anyways.
A little thing called comparative negligence . . .

Well, here's anonymous throwing that word around again. Does he know what it means and how to apply it? I doubt it.

Accidents, by definition, are happenstance. In other words, "things just happen". This was not an accident. Things didn't "just happen".

There are very few times that anyone, including the police have to drive over the posted speed limit.

According to what has been posted, the officer had not been authorized to join the chase. According to what has been posted, the officer was volunteering his services. According to what has been posted, the officer was not paying 100% attention to his driving.

As the public, we have the right to expect that every emergency vehicle will be driven by someone who is paying 100% attention to his driving. We have the right to expect that when speed limits are ignored, that there is truly a life and death situation at hand. We have the right to expect that every emergency vehicle driver is totally aware that not everyone can see his lights or hear his siren. In short, we have the right to expect that lights and sirens will not be turned on just because the officer wants to be part of the 'action'.

Would the justifiable death sentence verdict for medication being in one's system apply to the hordes of Utahns on happy pills? If it's a mom of 10 on Xanex, is she still a "loser who had it coming?" Just asking what constitutes a legitimate kill.

It's amazing how people try to convict others when they don't even know what happened. Example, "he probably did this or that".

Why don't you leave the trial to people who will hear what really happened? Remember, he who is free of sin, may cast the first stone.

Isn't it a bit odd that you keep saying the "officer was not paying 100% attention to his driving" yet you never mentioned the proven fact that the other driver was paying attention to his phone?

As for driving over the speed limit...have you ever been an officer? Do you know what they have to do to get to where they're going? Do you even know what the state law says about police officers and traffic laws? You should go look it up, you're going to be quite surprised

I wonder how many of you would be spinning this, if it had been your child struck and killed? Then it would be different I suppose. To the poster FORMER POLICE, your post is extremely rude! Is your caps button broke or stuck from something. Have some couresty. I feel bad for all involved in this tragic event.

Just because someone posts something doesn't make it true. As commentors we can only honestly post on what is reported.
It stated in the news article that the "other" driver was the one not paying attention. He was the one on drugs and texting while driving. The article said nothing of the kind for the officer.

Some people need to make up stories to feel better about the loss of a loved one. Some sue to feel better.

Fortunately Pat Reavy has made a good effort to put both sides of the issue in front of the reader. The other rag fails miserably in this regard and is trying to dictate public policy. That is scary when the self appointed liberals try to ram it down our throats.

Corbett was busting his butt to assist another officer who didn't have back up. Douglas happened into the middle of a difficult police matter. His spouse was already paid over half a million bucks to ease her grief. All within weeks of this.

Police no longer do a very good job of controlling criminals. They wave good bye to the felons and fugitives and focus on the good folks who pay their traffic fines diligently. What a mess we're in!!!